A man
has been arrested by Italian police investigating the killing of a
Nigerian immigrant which the government has condemned as a racist
attack.
Police say a row broke out at Fermo on
Italy’s west coast when racist abuse was hurled at the partner of
Emmanuel Chidi Namdi, 36.
The violence escalated when a traffic pole was pulled from the ground. The victim later died in hospital.
A local man described as a well-known “ultra” football fan is being held.
Amedeo Mancini, 35, was arrested on
Thursday on suspicion of racially aggravated manslaughter. His lawyer
said he “did not mean to kill” and that he had punched the Nigerian in
self defence.
Fleeing Boko Haram
Emmanuel Chidi fled Nigeria with his
partner Chinyery, 24, after their families came under attack from
jihadist group Boko Haram.
Their families were killed in an attack on a Nigerian church in 2015, Italian media reported.
As the couple made their way across the Mediterranean, their baby died.
They finally arrived in Fermo last
November and were taken in by a local Christian charity. They had a
wedding ceremony in January, conducted by local priest Father Vinicio
Albanesi, which was unofficial because they had lost their documents,
Rai TV reported.
What happened on Tuesday evening is
unclear. However, it is thought that the attacker subjected Chinyery to
racist chanting and then grabbed her.
At that point the traffic pole was
pulled out of the ground as Emmanuel Chidi and his attacker came to
blows. He was taken to hospital in a coma but never recovered.
#Emmanuel trending across Italy
Local churches which have worked with migrants have recently been targeted by small bombs, according to Father Vinicio Albanesi.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was among
many across Italy who took to social media to express disgust at the
killing, using the hashtag Emmanuel.
“The government today is in Fermo with
Don Vinicio and the local institutions in memory of Emmanuel. Against
hate, racism and violence,” he wrote.
Visiting the town, Interior Minister
Angelino Alfano told reporters on Thursday that the seed of racism had
to be stopped before it could bear fruit. “The heart of Italy isn’t
represented by those who carried out this murder.”
He also announced that Emmanuel Chidi’s partner Chinyery had been granted refugee status.
Source: BBC
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