Austin Luciano Reynold, a South African police constable has been found guilty of the murder of Ebuka Okoli, a Nigerian. the victim, Okoli was killed in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal, in 2018.
Okoli was reportedly shot at close range during an unauthorized raid by the 24-year-old Reynold on the community where he resides.
Also, Okoli was reported to have been handcuffed, robbed by the police officer who was off duty at the time of the raid.
Additionally, during the trial on Friday, 29th November 2019, Shyam Gyanda, the presiding judge, found the officer guilty on all four charges preferred against him — one charge of murder and three charges of robbery.
It can be recalled that, during an interview in August 2019, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), told newsmen that eight policemen were on trial in South Africa for their alleged role in the killing of Nigerian citizens.
In her words “So, we are dealing with three things.
There are xenophobic attacks in South Africa – it is there.
There is a high rate of crime in South Africa – it is there. 20,000 murders per annum,” she disclosed.
Erewa added that “And then there is a case of our Nigerians – gangs and drug wars – killing one another.
But what we are saying to South Africa is that no matter the circumstances, our people need to be protected.
We are getting to a tipping point where we cannot tolerate any more killings of Nigerians in South Africa".