The murder of Nigerian vendor Alika Ogorchukwu in broad daylight in the center of the Italian city of Civitanova Marche (central Italy) has shocked the country in the midst of the electoral campaign, with criticism of the “indifference” of those who attended the crime without intervening .
“The murder of Alika Ogorchukwu is shocking. Unheard of ferocity. widespread indifference. There can be no justifications and silence is not enough. The ultimate outrage against Alika would be to turn the page and forget”, denounced the leader of the Democratic Party, Enrico Letta.
Ogorchukwu, a 39-year-old Nigerian, with a wife and an 8-year-old son, died yesterday afternoon Friday at the hands of the Italian Filippo Claudio Ferlazzo, 32, already in prison accused of voluntary manslaughter and robbery, since he took the telephone of the victim.
The Nigerian, a street vendor, was in the central Umberto I street of Civitanova Marche, a tourist port on the Adriatic coast, when he was attacked by the Italian.
This sparked a fight in which the Italian struck several blows at Ogorchukwu until he was thrown to the ground and then stood on top of him until he ended his life, as can be seen in the videos made by passers-by.
The spokesman for the Macerata police force (centre), Matteo Luconi, explained that, although the investigation is still open, at the moment there are no elements that allow the crime to be attributed to racism, but “it seems that it arose” when the victim asked alms.
According to the first reconstruction, illustrated in a press conference, Ogorchukwu approached his assailant to ask for money and he, after refusing it, beat him to death.
The video of Alika’s crime before the eyes of passers-by (sensitive images) #civitanovamarche #alikaogorchukwu #racism https://t.co/YdXVb5UwQR pic.twitter.com/rKLNz3rJhB
– NowRome.com (@NowRome) July 30, 2022
The murderer has asked Ogorchukwu’s family for “forgiveness” through his lawyer and has alleged that the fight arose because he “insistently begged for alms” and because he grabbed his girlfriend’s arm, who was with him at the time and who has already testified as a witness. Although the victim’s family has pointed out that apologies “are not enough.” “We need justice, not revenge,” the lawyer told the media.
The murder has shocked the country, in the midst of the electoral campaign for the general elections on September 25, and many people, including the Nigerian community, gathered today in Civitanova Marche or Ancona to demand justice.
The association of Sant’Egidio, dedicated to the reception of refugees in Italy, lamented these events today and called to “stop the violence but also the violence that opens the way”.
“It is an episode that has occurred in a street normally full of people, in the heart of Civitanova Marche. There are even those who have recorded it, others shouted at the aggressor, but no one intervened, “the organization denounced.
The acting Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, assured that “indifference is as serious and unjustifiable as violence”.
Even the far-right leaders Matteo Salvini and Giorgia Meloni, always critical of immigration, lamented the crime and predicted that “the sentence will be the maximum possible” for the aggressor.
www.eldiario.es