A man has been arrested by Italian police investigating the killing of a
Nigerian immigrant which the government has condemned as a racist
attack.
Police say a row broke out at Fermo on Italy's west coast when racist
abuse was hurled at the partner of Emmanuel Chidi Namdi, 36.
The violence escalated when a traffic pole was pulled from the ground. The victim later died in hospital.
A local man described as a well-known "ultra" football fan is being held.
Amedeo
Mancini, 35, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of racially
aggravated manslaughter. His lawyer said he "did not mean to kill" and
that he had punched the Nigerian in self defence.
Fleeing Boko Haram
Emmanuel
Chidi fled Nigeria with his partner Chinyery, 24, after their families
came under attack from jihadist group Boko Haram.
Their families were killed in an attack on a Nigerian church in 2015, Italian media reported.
As the couple made their way across the Mediterranean, their baby died.
They
finally arrived in Fermo last November and were taken in by a local
Christian charity. They had a wedding ceremony in January, conducted by
local priest Father Vinicio Albanesi, which was unofficial because they
had lost their documents, Rai TV reported.
What happened on
Tuesday evening is unclear. However, it is thought that the attacker
subjected Chinyery to racist chanting and then grabbed her.
At
that point the traffic pole was pulled out of the ground as Emmanuel
Chidi and his attacker came to blows. He was taken to hospital in a coma
but never recovered.
#Emmanuel trending across Italy
Local churches which have worked with migrants have recently been targeted by small bombs, according to Father Vinicio Albanesi.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was also among many across Italy who took to
social media to express disgust at the killing, using the hashtag
Emmanuel.
"The government today is in Fermo with Don Vinicio and
the local institutions in memory of Emmanuel. Against hate, racism and
violence," he wrote.
Visiting
the town, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told reporters on Thursday
that the seed of racism had to be stopped before it could bear fruit.
"The heart of Italy isn't represented by those who carried out this
murder."
He also announced that Emmanuel Chidi's partner Chinyery had been granted refugee status.
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Title : A Nigerian Man Who Was Killed In Italy Race Attack
Description : A man has been arrested by Italian police investigating the killing of a Nigerian immigrant which the government has condemned as a r...
