The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is yet to release its investigative report on the killing of Afolabi Opaso, a Nigerian teenager, to his family 12 months after officers fatally shot him.
Family members of the Nigerian student, who was shot dead under mysterious circumstances in December 2023, have expressed their frustration as they continue to await an independent report into what led to the incident a year after their son was killed.
Opaso, who was 19 at the time, was shot three times by policemen in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a Canadian province.
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“The investigation into Afolabi’s death has dragged on far too long, and we are still left with more questions than answers. Our family deserves transparency, accountability and above all, we need justice,” read Yemisi Opaso, Afolabi’s elder sister, from a statement prepared on behalf of her family on Monday.
“Afolabi’s life mattered. We implore the authorities to act swiftly and release the findings of the investigation so we can begin to find the closure that we desperately need.”
Yemisi added that the delay in the release of the report into her brother’s death had compounded her family’s grief, making every member feel like the case was being treated with indifference.
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Winnipeg police claimed 19-year-old Opaso was armed with two knives when the officers shot him.
His roommates, however, had called 911 so he could get medical help when they figured he had suffered a mental breakdown. The same roommates also claimed they made it clear to the police when they arrived that Opaso only posed a danger to himself and not to others.
The deceased was studying at the University of Manitoba at the time of his death.
The post Canadian Police Yet to Release Report One Year After Officers Killed Nigerian Teen appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.