Nigerian kills brother in South Africa over money squabble

Juliana Francis

Homicide detectives in South Africa (SA) have arrested a Nigerian, simply identified as Batista for killing his brother, Ide, with a brick over money.

A video, which went viral on Tuesday, showed the two men arguing, and then throwing punches at each other.

In the video, Ide, who is taller than Batista, first landed a punch on the latter. A policeman had immediately grabbed the hand of Ide and pulled him away.

An apparently furious Batista followed Ide and the policeman, bent and grabbed a thick brick on the ground, which he hurled at Ide.

The deceased lowered his head, to lodge the brick, but it landed smack in the middle of his head. He fell flat to the ground, writhed in pain for a few minutes and then became still. People, who had earlier been watching instead of separating the two men, screamed in shock and started beating Batista. Some tore his tee-shirt, while another hurled a plastic chair on him.  The victim was rushed to Arwyp Hospital, where he died on Tuesday at about 3pm.

The President of the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa, NICASA, Ben Okoli, in a statement said the incident happened in Kempton Park on February 10th, at about 7:30 pm.

He explained that NICASA had received information from the association ward leader in Kempton Park, where two Nigerians engaged in a fight that led to the death of one of them.

He said: “The two Nigerians are related, from Orlu Senatorial zone of Imo State. Our preliminary investigation revealed that the two Nigerians, one known as Batista and the other as Ide, got into fisticuffs apparently over disagreements on some money to be paid to some creditor. Batista, who was the senior of the two relatives hit the younger Ide with a brick on his head and pushed him to the ground. Ide fell to the ground hitting his medulla on the ground. He was rushed to Arwyp Hospital, Kempton Park, South Africa, where he died shortly after he was admitted.”

Okoli said that the association and Nigerians in SA were concerned about the incident, which he described as unnecessary and an avoidable death.

“It is disheartening that our citizens no longer have value for the sanctity of life nor the preferred conflict resolution mechanism available in our established associations, clubs and town unions. We advise our citizens to be law-abiding and be our brother’s keeper. NICASA will visit the suspect in the police custody tomorrow and will make more information available after the visit,” said Okoli.

An online site in SA, IOL, reported that Batista was expected to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrates Court on Wednesday, where he will face a murder charge. 

IOL further stated that Gauteng Police Spokesperson, Captain Kay Makhubela, said that the police officers tried to intervene when they found the men fighting at the corner of Long and Casurina Street, in Kempton Park. 

He added: “Police went to intervene and during the intervention one of the Nigerians picked a brick and hit the other on the forehead. The victim fell down and was bleeding from the mouth and nose. The suspect was immediately arrested for attempted murder. The victim was taken to Arwyp Hospital for medical treatment,” said Makhubela.