Pius Abiazem: South African Police arrest 4 officers for murder

Four officers of the South African Police Service have been arrested in connection to the death of Pius Abiazem, a Nigerian businessman.

Abiaziem reportedly died while he was being interrogated by a team of police officers at his home in Eastern Cape on August 23, 2019.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) announced on Friday, August 30, that the four will face trial soon.

"Following the recent brutal murder of Pius Abiaziem, a Nigerian businessman, in South Africa , the South African Police have arrested Four Policemen linked to the death of Mr Pius Abiaziem and are to face trial," the commission said.

NIDCOM's chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, urged the South African authorities to ensure a speedy trial of the officers and that of others currently on trial for various offenses committed against Nigerians living in the country.

Nigerians have battled xenophobic attacks in South Africa for years, and some Nigerians have been killed as a result.

While holding a bilateral meeting with Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, on the sidelines of the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) this week, South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said his government is working to end the attacks.

"We feel very upset about that. Obviously, our criminal justice system is working on it. We don't support killings," Ramaphosa said.

The two leaders are expected to discuss the issue at more length during Buhari's official visit to South Africa in October.