Italian Citizen Gets 24 Years Jail Term For Beating Nigerian To Death

An Italian citizen identified as Filippo Ferlazzo has been sentenced to 24 years imprisonment for beating a Nigerian, Alika Ogorchukwu, to death.

The 39-year-old Nigerian man who was using crutches and strolling through the coastal city of Civitanova Marche, Italy on July 29, 2022, was attacked in the presence of numerous witnesses in broad daylight.

Unfortunately, all the witnesses decided not to intervene as Ferlazzo beat Ogorchukwu to death.

Reports claimed that the Italian citizen used Ogorchukwu’s crutches to beat the victim to death while the onlookers recorded the incident on their smartphones.

On July 30, 2022, Ferlazzo was taken into custody on suspicion of murdering Ogorchukwu and taking his phone. The Italian Police said that before Ferlazzo allegedly attacked Ogorchukwu, the victim had asked him to sell him a handkerchief.

Police reports confirmed that the incident occurred at 2:00 p.m. on July 29. Before paramedics arrived on the scene, Ogorchukwu was already dead.

After over a year of legal battle, the Italian citizen was sentenced to 24 years in jail on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, according to a statement from the chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Thursday, September 28.

“I am glad that this case finally got justice. Like I always say, there have to be consequences for actions”, Dabiri-Erewa was quoted as saying in the statement released by NiDCOM spokesperson Gabriel Odu.