PUNCH
Members of the Nigerian Association of Manitoba have mourned the passing of a 19-year-old Nigerian, Afolabi Stephen, who was killed by policemen on December 31, 2023.
Though the details of his death are still sketchy, the Winnipeg, Manitoba Police Department, in a statement posted on its website via Winnipeg.ca, said its officers responded to a call about a young male who was acting “erratically”.
The police noted that upon arrival, efforts to calm the young man proved abortive which led to the discharge of a firearm by the police which ultimately led to his death.
The statement read, “On December 31, 2023, at approximately 2:22 pm, the Winnipeg Police Service responded to an apartment suite in the first 100 block of University Crescent for a 911 call regarding a male acting erratically. The caller advised the male may be armed and there were other people in the suite.
“Upon police arrival, they were confronted by an armed male. During this encounter, an officer discharged his firearm, striking the male. Officers provided immediate medical care and ensured the well-being of all other parties on the scene. Nobody else was injured.
“The male was transported to the hospital in critical condition and succumbed to his injuries.”
Mourning his death, the Nigerian Association in Manitoba, Canada in a statement signed by its President, Vera Keyede, offered condolences to the family of the deceased while urging the Nigerian community to stay calm while investigations continue.
