Nigeria demands justice from South Africa over assaulted Nigerian

The Federal Government has demanded appropriate administrative and legal action from the South African government against two of its officers from the Police Service in Cape-Town over an assault on one Nigerian, Mr Clement Emekeneh.

The two officers were, last Friday reported by a local television (ETV) in the country, to have beaten an unidentified individual who was later confirmed to be a Nigerian.

In his reaction, the Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador S.S. Yusuf, in a statement yesterday said the action which has caused public outrage, has “further highlighted the lawlessness of the South African Police Service, which has become notorious for extra-judicial actions.”

The envoy noted that though the South African Police Service immediately issued a public statement condemning the action of its members while the Independent Police Investigation Department (IPID) also arrested the two officers captured in the television report and were placed on suspension, Yusuf assured that the mission would not relent on its effort to see that justice is done.

“In addition, the High Commissioner, through the effort of the Nigerian Community Leader in Cape Town, was able to speak with the victim, Mr. Clement Emekeneh, to sympathise with him, assuring him of the mission’s support and the necessary steps taken to protest to the host authorities to ensure that justice is done,” he said.

According to the statement, the two officer were charged to court on Monday, March 11,  2014, while the accused officers were granted bail in the sum of Rand 1, 500 each while the case was adjourned till May 9, 2014.