Tinubu’s aide calls for probe into killing of Nigerian student in Canada

The death of Stephen Afolabi Opaso, a Nigerian student at the University of Manitoba in Canada, has prompted an investigation, according to Sunday Asefon, President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Student Engagement.

On December 31, 2023, in Manitoba, Canada, the Winnipeg Police Service killed the 19-year-old.

Asefon, in a statement on Saturday, called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to make sure that the tragedy was not covered up. He characterized the killing as brutal and callous.

He stated, “The public’s perception of the case, which was gathered from an earlier meeting with the official National Association of Nigerian Students, is that the death was motivated by race because the deceased student was not using a gun at the time of the incident and that the police officers would have acted differently if he had been a white person.

“The Chairperson of NIDCOM and the Minister of Foreign Affairs ought to make sure that the issue isn’t ignored.

“All Nigerian students, including NANS, ought to maintain composure. To avoid a diplomatic crisis that could result in the closure of their embassy in Nigeria by the Nigerian student Apex body NANS, as previously threatened, we will closely monitor the case until the Canadian authorities provide a truthful account of the Nigerian student’s death and compensate his family appropriately. This is because we will not stop until the Federal Government of Nigeria takes action within three working days.

Human rights attorney Tolu Babaleye backed the SSA to the President, urging the federal government to see that justice was done in this case, claiming the boy’s threat was out of proportion to the Canadian police’s defensive strategy.

“Too much force was used by the involved police officer,” he declared. It would have been justified if the youngster had been brandishing a gun. He would have sought out a different way to disarm the boy—who was reportedly clutching a knife—rather than shooting him.

“Again, it depends on Canadian legislation, but I agree with the SSA that the matter has to be thoroughly reviewed. Should Nigerian criminal law hold you not accountable in such a scenario, the amount of force you used must have been commensurate with the threat the man posed at the moment of the incident.

Nigeria and Canada have excellent relations, so you know this has to do with diplomacy between the two nations. Since Canada is one of the nations that has welcomed our kids, I think it will also be necessary to manage this event wisely.