2016-07-07 16:30:00

Nigerian man beaten to death in racist attack


A 36 years old Nigerian asylum seeker, Emmanuel Chidi Nnamdi, has died Wednesday in the Italian town of Fermo, situated in the central region of Marche. Emmanuel died of injuries sustained in a racist attack by right-wing football fans.

According to Italian media, Emmanuel and his partner were walking along via 20 September Street in the town centre Tuesday evening. As they walked, supporters of a local football club accosted them and began to insult and heap racial abuse on them. They referred to Emmanuel’s partner, Chinyere aged 24, as a “Monkey.” Emmanuel reacted to the racist insults directed at Chinyere and in the process of defending her from the abuse, one of the group beat Emmanuel with a steel bar that was ripped out of a road sign.

The Italian Catholic newspaper, Avvenire reports Thursday that Italy’s Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told the press that an Italian man, Amedeo Mancini, has been arrested and charged by the Police for killing Emmanuel. The Interior Minister, who rushed to Fermo, said the Italian government was keen to prevent a contagious atmosphere of hate.

“Italians are a great nation who are at the forefront of demonstrating to the world, hospitality to refugees,” Alfano is quoted by Avvenire as saying. 
Fermo’s Mayor spoke of his sadness at the racist motivated death. He expressed solidarity with Fr. Vinicio Albanesi, who leads those caring for refugees in the region.

Italy’s Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, who personally knows Fr. Albanesi also phoned the priest to express solidarity. In a Thursday tweet, Renzi wrote, "The government today is in Fermo with Fr. Vinicio (Albanesi) and local institutions in memory of Emmanuel.”

From September last year, Emmanuel and his partner, Chinyere, were being hosted by a Catholic seminary in the central Italian Marche region. 

Emmanuel and Chinyere fled Nigeria for fear of Boko Haram terrorists in the North East. After a Boko Haram attack, Emmanuel lost his parents and a sibling. Fleeing Nigeria, the couple passed through Libya where they were robbed and beaten by thugs. Embarking on the perilous journey via the Mediterranean Sea to  Palermo in Italy, Chinyere suffered a miscarriage. 

In the Tuesday attack, Chinyere was also beaten and suffered bruises to the arms and leg.

UNHCR chief for Southern Europe, Stephane Jaquemet expressed deep sorrow and dismay at the killing of Emmanuel. "Encountering death in Italy, after suffering violence and abuse in Libya and having survived the Mediterranean is unacceptable," said Jaquemet. 

The UNHCR hopes that the law will take its course and that some form of settlement and support will be found for Chinyere, Emmanuel’s surviving partner.

(Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va)

 








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