The wife of a Nigerian street trader who was killed in Italy has said she is seeking justice following his “painful death”. Aliku Ogorchukwu, 39, was reportedly selling handkerchiefs in the seaside town of Civitanova Marche on Friday when he was chased and gruesomely beaten to death.
A 32-year-old Italian has been arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery. A video circulating online shows a man on top of Ogorchukwu, punching him with his bare hands. None of those who witnessed the broad daylight attack appeared to intervene. “This is a form of wickedness I don’t know,” Ogorchukwu’s wife, Charity Oriachi, told the BBC.
Ms Oriachi said she had received help in coming to terms with her husband’s death but was tired of “talk”. Now, she was only interested in justice, she insisted. Her family had lived in Italy for a long time, she said, stressing that her husband had never sought any trouble.
The killing has sparked outrage in the local community, including Nigerians, who took to the streets over the weekend and are planning another demonstration soon. The Nigerian government has asked Italian authorities to quickly “bring the perpetrator of the heinous act” to justice.
