On Friday afternoon, 39-year-old Alika Ogorchukwu was killed in the town centre of Civitanova Marche.
According to local news, a 32-year-old Campanian man was walking through the streets with his girlfriend when Ogorchukwu repeatedly called out to the woman.
The seller reportedly asked her: “Bella, can you buy some handkerchiefs or give me one euro?”.
In response, the Italian man allegedly grabbed the crutch Ogorchukwu used to walk, and struck him to the ground with it before continuing to beat him.
The attack was captured by several surveillance cameras and recorded on camera phones by multiple onlookers.
Protests took place in Civitanova Marche over the weekend, as hundreds of people from the Nigerian community flooded the streets.
Ogorchukwu’s wife, Charity Oriachi, gave a statement to the media.
“I want to look that man in the eye and ask him why he killed my husband,” she said.
“There were so many people around, why didn’t anyone help him?
“I want justice now.”
The attack was reminiscent of a shooting rampage that took place in Macerata in 2018, when far-right extremist Luca Traini wounded six African migrants.
The president for the Marche chapter of the Brothers of Italy party, Francesco Acquaroli, spoke out against the unprovoked attack.
“Along with expressing deep condolences to Alika’s family, it’s also necessary to condemn such an act of insane and unprecedented violence,” he stated.
“It has no justification and damages the entire Marche region.”
