Members of the Manitoba Association of Nigerians are mourning the death of a 19-year-old Nigerian man, Afolabi Stephen, who was killed by police on December 31, 2023.

Although details of his death remain unclear, the Winnipeg Police Service in Manitoba said in a statement posted on its website via Winnipeg.ca that its officers responded to a call regarding a young man acting “in a manner erratic.”

Police noted that upon arrival, efforts to calm the young man failed, leading police to fire guns, ultimately leading to his death.

The statement read: “On December 31, 2023, at approximately 2:22 p.m., the Winnipeg Police Service responded to an apartment in the first 100 block of University Crescent for a 911 call regarding a man acting erratically. The caller indicated that the man may have been armed and that there were other people in the room.

“When the police arrived, they encountered an armed man. During the confrontation, a police officer fired his firearm and attacked the man. Officers immediately provided medical attention and ensured the well-being of everyone else at the scene. No one else was injured.

“The man was taken to hospital in critical condition and died from his injuries.”

Mourning his death, the Association of Nigerians in Manitoba, Canada, in a statement signed by its President, Vera Keyede, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and urged Nigerians to remain calm as investigations continue.

The statement read: “The Manitoba Association of Nigerians wishes to express its deepest concern and regret over the unfortunate incident involving the shooting death of a Nigerian international student by the Winnipeg Police Service on December 31, 2023.

“We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. We understand the anxiety, frustration, sadness and distress this incident has caused in our community. We ask everyone not to engage in any activity that could create tension or hinder the investigation and judicial process.

“This is a difficult time for all of us, we need Nigerians to remain calm and composed while investigations are carried out. We recognize the community's right to seek answers and justice for our own community. NAMI continues to monitor this situation and seeks guidance on next actions.

“NAMI will continue to provide updates as we have more information available. “We extend our support to those directly or indirectly affected by this unfortunate incident and cannot emphasize enough the need to show solidarity during these difficult times. »

PUNCH, in its recent report, revealed that in the last seven years, about 300 Nigerians have been extrajudicially executed in foreign countries.

In 2022, the Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, spoke about how Nigerians were being killed in Northern Cyprus for no known reason.

According to him, 13 Nigerians have been murdered in northern Cyprus in six years without any solution.