South African Police Officer Found Guilty Of Killing A Nigerian Man During Illegal Raid

A 24-year-old South African police constable, Austin Luciano Reynold, has been found guilty for killing a Nigerian man, Ebuka Emmanuel Okoli, in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal.

Ebuka was reportedly robbed and shot at close range during an allegedly illegal raid by Reynolds and his colleague on 19th January 2018.

In a statement on Saturday, the NUSA President, Adetola Olubajo said the South African police officer was found guilty on one charge of murder and three charges of robbery on Friday 29th November 2019.

“NUSA welcomes the judgment of Judge Shyam Gyanda on the brutal murder of Late Ebuka Emmanuel Okoli who was shot by a young police constable in Durban on 19th January 2018,” Olubajo stated.

“Austin Luciano Reynolds, the twenty-four-year-old South African police constable, was found guilty today, Friday 29th November 2019 for the January 19 2018 murder of Ebuka Okoli a native of Anambra State in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal.

“The accused was found guilty on all four charges, one charge of murder and three charges of robbery. The accomplice of the accused during the illegal raid turned state witness.”

“He (Ebuka) was robbed, tortured, handcuffed, and later shot at close range by the officer who was off-duty at the time of the raid.

“We have been monitoring the case since the inception and very grateful and appreciative of the role played by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, because without them, this case would have been one of the numerous unresolved murder cases of Nigerians in South Africa.”