By Adedeji Fathia Bamidele (Siwes student, Ogun State Institute of Technology Igbesa OGITECH)
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), ensures a comprehensive investigation into the tragic death of Afolabi Stephen, a 19-year-old Nigerian student in Canada, who was fatally shot by the Canadian police.
The investigation, already underway, will be conducted thoroughly, as stated in NiDCOM’s Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun’s released statement.
Stephen lost his life on December 31, 2023, during a police response to a “911 call regarding a male acting erratically” in an apartment suite on University Crescent in Manitoba.
The police encountered an armed male, resulting in an officer discharging their firearm and fatally striking him. Immediate medical care was provided, and no one else was harmed during the incident, according to the police statement.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) has taken charge of the investigation, as per the police report. Dabiri-Erewa condemned the killing, expressing NiDCOM’s engagement with the Nigerian mission in Ottawa and receiving assurances from Canadian authorities regarding a thorough investigation into the unfortunate event.
She extended condolences to Stephen’s family and friends, concluding with a prayer for his soul.
