South African authorities have launched an investigation into the death of a Nigerian man who collapsed while being arrested by police in Cape Town, as concerns grow over the treatment of foreign nationals in the country.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), the body responsible for overseeing police conduct, said preliminary post-mortem findings showed that 42-year-old Ibeh Chika Simon “sustained multiple bruises and abrasions on his back and chest.”
According to Western Cape police, Simon died after becoming unwell while officers attempted to arrest him during an operation.
In a statement, police said Simon died while he “was being placed under arrest [as] he allegedly became unwell and collapsed”.
The incident has drawn a strong reaction from Nigerian officials, with the country’s Consul General in Johannesburg, Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, condemning the circumstances surrounding his death.
