Indian authorities are making efforts to explain the gruesome murder of another Nigerian national residing in Bengaluru, the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, on Sunday 12 December.
Victor Akuete, originally from Uromi in Esan in northeastern Edo state, had lived in India for over ten years and was married to a Bengaluru woman with whom he had a son.
Initial reports indicated that Mr. Akuete, who was almost 40 years old, was stabbed to death by friends after a heated argument.
According to Bengaluru City Police, he was attacked on Sunday night around 10 pm while walking on the road.
Police also said they had arrested three people in connection with the murder.
The people arrested are Arun, Philip Raj and Neelakantha, all residents of Banaswadi.
The deputy police commissioner (east), SD Sharanappa, had initially blamed the murder on an African citizen known to Mr. Akuete. But on Monday it was reversed, stating that “the scientific investigation helped identify the defendants.”
He said that they have taken the defendants into custody and that the interrogation is in the preliminary stage.
“We don’t know exactly what the reason for Victor’s death was,” Sharanappa said. “The incident took place around 10 pm near the Kullappa circle in Kammanahalli and we have not yet determined the motive for the incident.”
Victor Akuete, wife and daughter
But the deceased’s younger brother, Christopher Akuete, a Nigerian resident, told PREMIUM TIMES that the report made available to the family indicated that the assailants had approached their victim where he was having a beer and wanted him to share it with them.
He said his brother was reported to have refused and, as he was walking home, he was followed and stabbed in the chest and abdomen.
According to Christopher, the ambulance was late and the bleeding was profuse, leading to the death of his older brother.
“My brother did not commit any crime, he was not charged with any crime and he cannot be allowed to die like this,” he said.
He said the family awaits a full investigation and those arrested must be brought to justice in accordance with the laws of the country.
He also revealed that efforts were being made to have the remains handed over to the Esan and Nigerian communities in India for burial. He said that once the body is recovered, it is likely to be buried on Friday.
In March this year, a Nigerian national, Leohand Lyeanyi, was killed in a controversial circumstance while being arrested by the Indian police in Delhi.
Akuete’s friends, under the umbrella of his Alumni Association, Auchi College Auchi 1990 (ACA’90), condemned the murder and said the incessant killing of Nigerians in the Asian country should stop.
“He was horribly murdered in India on Sunday, December 12, 2021,” ACA Class 90 coordinator Prisca Idonije said Thursday in a concisely worded statement.
“The reports in the news and in the newspapers have been contradictory, showing that there is a good chance that attempts will be made to cover up or obstruct justice.
“We call on all the bodies responsible for ensuring that justice is done in cases like this to help us ensure that this case is properly investigated and that the culprits are brought to justice.”
When contacted, the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) He said the information had not yet reached his office as of Thursday.
The head of the Department of Media and Public Relations, Abdulrahman Balogun, told PREMIUM TIMES by phone that the commission had not yet received information about the death of Mr. Akuete from the Nigerian High Commissioner in India.
However, he urged the relatives of the deceased to write a petition to the commission, providing details of his death on which action could be taken.
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