The Senior Particular Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on College students Engagement, Sunday Asefon, has known as for investigation into the killing of a Nigerian pupil who was learning within the College of Manitoba Canada, Stephen Afolabi Opaso.
The 19-year-old was killed by the Winnipeg Police Service in Manitoba, Canada, on December 31, 2023.
Asefon, who described the killing as barbaric and heartless, in an announcement on Saturday, urged the Minister of International Affairs and Chairperson of Nigerians in Diaspora Fee to make sure that the incident was not swept below the carpet.
He mentioned, “The impression within the public as gathered throughout an interplay with the official Nationwide Affiliation of Nigerian College students earlier on the case is that the killing was racially motivated because the demised pupil was not welding a gun on the time of the incident and that the law enforcement officials would have acted in a different way if he had been to be a white.
“The Minister of International Affairs and Chairperson of NIDCOM ought to be certain that the incident shouldn’t be swept below the carpet.
“NANS and your complete Nigerian college students ought to stay calm. We are going to observe the case up diligently till the Canadian authorities give a real account of the loss of life of the Nigerian Scholar and compensate his household accordingly to keep away from a diplomatic row which will result in the closure of their embassy in Nigeria by Nigerian pupil Apex physique NANS as earlier threatened if no motion is taken by Federal Authorities of Nigeria inside 3 working days.”
Supporting the SSA to the President, a human rights lawyer, Tolu Babaleye, known as on the Federal Authorities to make sure justice was served on the matter, saying the risk the boy posed was not proportional to the defence technique employed by the Canadian police.
He mentioned, “The pressure utilized by the police officer concerned was too extreme. Assuming the boy was holding a gun, it will have been justified. The boy was mentioned to be holding a knife; he would have appeared for one more technique of disarming him as a substitute of taking pictures him.
“I agree with the SSA that the difficulty must be investigated correctly, however once more, it depends upon Canadian regulation. Whether it is below our legal regulation in Nigeria for you to not be culpable in this type of scenario, the pressure you utilized have to be proportional to the risk the man constituted on the time of the incident.
“ this one has to do with diplomacy between the 2 international locations as a result of Nigeria and Canada have an excellent relationship. I consider this incident should even be dealt with with knowledge as a result of Canada is without doubt one of the international locations which have opened its doorways to our youths.”