A 33-year-old Italian, Filippo Ferlazzo, has been given a 24-year prison sentence for beating a Nigerian man, Alika Ogorchukwu, to death in Italy.
The court of Assizes of Macerata handed down this sentence on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, for the aggravated voluntary murder of the 39-year-old Nigerian street hawker, who had physical disabilities.
On July 29, 2022, Ogorchukwu was brutally attacked while he was selling goods on the streets of Civitanova Marche in the Province of Macerata, March Region of Italy.
The attacker, Filippo Ferlazzo, used the victim’s own crutches to beat him to death, crushing his neck and head, all of this in front of bystanders who did not intervene, while some onlookers recorded videos of the attack with their phones.
On July 30, 2022, Filippo Ferlazzo was arrested on murder charges and according to the Italian Police, they believe the attack occurred after Ogorchukwu had asked Ferlazzo’s girlfriend to buy a handkerchief.
According to reports, the incident led to two protest marches in a coastal town in Italy, demanding justice for the Nigerian victim, whose death made international headlines.
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), expressed satisfaction with the justice served in Filippo Ferlazzo’s case.
In a statement issued by NiDCOM spokesperson Gabriel Odu on Thursday, September 28, she commended the Nigerian Mission in Rome for its efforts in handling cases involving Nigerians.
Dabiri-Erewa encouraged Nigerians in the Diaspora to remain law-abiding, excel in their endeavours, and contribute to their homeland.
