Johannesburg | Sunday
FIVE staff members at the privately-run Lindela repatriation centre for illegal immigrants at Krugersdorp have been arrested in connection with the beating to death of an illegal Nigerian immigrant, West Rand police said on Sunday.
Describing the crime as particularly brutal, police representative Melica Bezuidenhout said the five were arrested at 3am on Sunday morning when police learned of the death.
She said five illegal immigrants escaped from the deportation centre at 6pm on Saturday. The camp’s security detachment reportedly did not contact the police but set out to recapture the escapees themselves.
Around 9pm three Nigerians were re-arrested and taken back to the camp where they were then allegedly beaten with batons, sjamboks and a firearm.
”They were severely assaulted,” Bezuidenhout said.
Eventually an ambulance was summoned, but a 25-year-old Nigerian man died on his way to hospital. He had severe head, back and chest injuries as well as lacerations from barbed wire.
One of his two countrymen remain in the Leratong hospital. The third has been returned to the camp. The name of the deceased cannot be released until his next-of-kin have been informed.
Bezuidenhout said the body was returned to camp by hospital authorities after being declared dead on arrival. The police were then summoned to collect the body.
After an examination and a follow-up investigation, five of the camp’s staff were arrested in connection with a charge of murder and two of attempted murder.
Investigators also found an attempt had been made to wash blood from the walls and floor of the room in which the assaults had taken place. However, forensic experts were able to find ample evidence of a crime, and more arrests are expected. – Sapa