Physinews: THE bright hopes of a Nigerian amateur
footballer to excel in far-away South Africa
have been dashed in a dusk attack at his home
in Cape Town, South Africa. The footballer,
Emeka Kenneth Okafor, 35, was killed in his
home by a three-man gang allegedly hired by
his South African neighbour, Sunday.
footballer to excel in far-away South Africa
have been dashed in a dusk attack at his home
in Cape Town, South Africa. The footballer,
Emeka Kenneth Okafor, 35, was killed in his
home by a three-man gang allegedly hired by
his South African neighbour, Sunday.
The
victim, who hailed from Awkuzu in Anambra
State in Nigeria met his untimely end after one of his
Nigerian friends who visited him earlier in the
day brushed the car of his South African
neighbour.
victim, who hailed from Awkuzu in Anambra
State in Nigeria met his untimely end after one of his
Nigerian friends who visited him earlier in the
day brushed the car of his South African
neighbour.
Kenneth Okafor It was gathered that
all efforts by his visitor to pacify the South
African failed as he quickly rushed out, only to
emerge later with three members of a notorious
South African gang called ‘INTA’. Reports said
members of the dreaded gang asked for the
whereabouts of the Nigerian who brushed the
car and when they were told that he had left,
they went for Emeka who was busy pleading for
forgiveness. The gang members who were said
to be armed accosted him and fired several
bullets into his head. He died on the spot. Hot
leads of bullets His elder brother, Ifeanyi Okafor,
43, an Abuja based football coach at the East
Coast Academy, Nyanya, narrated, in tears, the
heart-rending story to Crime Alert. His word:
“My brother left the shores of our land for South
Africa last year after several failed attempts to
succeed in life. Last Sunday night, I received a
telephone call from one Chinedu from Nteje who
resides in South Africa. He was weeping
profusely when he told me that my younger
brother, Emeka, had been killed. “When I asked
him what happened, he said he and other
Nigerian boys were in Emeka’s house that
Sunday and after lunch, one of his friends from
Enugu state left and while driving out of the
premises, his car scratched that of a South
African neighbour.” Okafor added: “The South
African went wild with anger. Emeka intervened
and pleaded with his neighbour but to no avail.
Soon after, his South African neighbour left in
his car, then returned later with three members
of the notorious South African gang called
‘INTA’ and began a search for the Enugu boy
that brushed the car. When they were told that
he had gone, they searched for Emeka and as
soon as they saw him, shot him point blank in
the head. He died on the spot. “As soon as
they saw that he was dead, they fled with the
man that hired them. Later that night,
policemen came and removed Emeka’s corpse.
“Another Nigerian who witnessed the cold-
blooded murder narrated how the incident
happened to the police. He went further to
make a statement to that effect at the Police
station. At that stage, it was also discovered
that members of the South African family had
also disappeared from their apartments. The
police, therefore, deposited Emeka’s corpse in
the mortuary in Cape Town while they claimed
they were looking for his killers.” Still in tears,
Coach Okafor narrated the agonising life of his
brother from childhood. “Emeka came to Lagos
to serve as an apprentice in a provision store at
Agege after passing out from secondary
school.He could not continue with his
education because our parents died earlier in
life. He served his master for seven years but
was wickedly thrown out without the agreed
settlement by the man after he was accused of
simply spraying money during a wedding
ceremony his master also attended. After this
ugly development, he was forced to return to
the village. “I had to raise money from my
scarce resources to bring him back to Lagos
where he operated a pepper soup joint at
Orisumbare in Ejigbo. While there, I prepared
him to join his friends in South Africa to look for
a football club. He was still searching for the
club when the ugly incident took place last
Sunday. I don’t know whether his friends have
reported this to the Nigerian embassy or not
but I am aware that they are preparing to bring
the corpse home. He was a very good boy; we
will surely miss him greatly,” he lamented.
all efforts by his visitor to pacify the South
African failed as he quickly rushed out, only to
emerge later with three members of a notorious
South African gang called ‘INTA’. Reports said
members of the dreaded gang asked for the
whereabouts of the Nigerian who brushed the
car and when they were told that he had left,
they went for Emeka who was busy pleading for
forgiveness. The gang members who were said
to be armed accosted him and fired several
bullets into his head. He died on the spot. Hot
leads of bullets His elder brother, Ifeanyi Okafor,
43, an Abuja based football coach at the East
Coast Academy, Nyanya, narrated, in tears, the
heart-rending story to Crime Alert. His word:
“My brother left the shores of our land for South
Africa last year after several failed attempts to
succeed in life. Last Sunday night, I received a
telephone call from one Chinedu from Nteje who
resides in South Africa. He was weeping
profusely when he told me that my younger
brother, Emeka, had been killed. “When I asked
him what happened, he said he and other
Nigerian boys were in Emeka’s house that
Sunday and after lunch, one of his friends from
Enugu state left and while driving out of the
premises, his car scratched that of a South
African neighbour.” Okafor added: “The South
African went wild with anger. Emeka intervened
and pleaded with his neighbour but to no avail.
Soon after, his South African neighbour left in
his car, then returned later with three members
of the notorious South African gang called
‘INTA’ and began a search for the Enugu boy
that brushed the car. When they were told that
he had gone, they searched for Emeka and as
soon as they saw him, shot him point blank in
the head. He died on the spot. “As soon as
they saw that he was dead, they fled with the
man that hired them. Later that night,
policemen came and removed Emeka’s corpse.
“Another Nigerian who witnessed the cold-
blooded murder narrated how the incident
happened to the police. He went further to
make a statement to that effect at the Police
station. At that stage, it was also discovered
that members of the South African family had
also disappeared from their apartments. The
police, therefore, deposited Emeka’s corpse in
the mortuary in Cape Town while they claimed
they were looking for his killers.” Still in tears,
Coach Okafor narrated the agonising life of his
brother from childhood. “Emeka came to Lagos
to serve as an apprentice in a provision store at
Agege after passing out from secondary
school.He could not continue with his
education because our parents died earlier in
life. He served his master for seven years but
was wickedly thrown out without the agreed
settlement by the man after he was accused of
simply spraying money during a wedding
ceremony his master also attended. After this
ugly development, he was forced to return to
the village. “I had to raise money from my
scarce resources to bring him back to Lagos
where he operated a pepper soup joint at
Orisumbare in Ejigbo. While there, I prepared
him to join his friends in South Africa to look for
a football club. He was still searching for the
club when the ugly incident took place last
Sunday. I don’t know whether his friends have
reported this to the Nigerian embassy or not
but I am aware that they are preparing to bring
the corpse home. He was a very good boy; we
will surely miss him greatly,” he lamented.
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