The Swiss police has arraigned six police officers over the death of a Nigerian man, Ben Peter, who died in 2018 after he was pinned down during an arrest.
NIGERIACRIME learnt that the deceased had a fatal heart attack when the police forcefully held him down in Lausanne.
The white officers were on Monday accused of “homicide through negligence” in relation to the death of the 39-year-old Nigerian man.
The accused, however, told the court that the deceased’s death was caused by other factors.
They all pleaded guilty to the charge.
Peter’s death triggered protests by activists who have accused the Swiss police of institutional racism, charges the force denied.
According to the indictment, the officers first noticed Peter during a drug patrol after he collected a bag later shown to contain marijuana, adding that Peter did not comply with police requests and the officers used pepper spray and knee kicks to the ribs and groping to get him on the ground and handcuff him.
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The deceased, according to reports, continued to struggle for breath as he was held face-down by the officers until he passed out after three minutes.
The indictment said Peter was later pronounced dead after a heart attack with multiple causes, including the fact that he was held on his stomach and subjected to stress.
The officers each face a maximum sentence of three years in prison if convicted.
Due to Swiss privacy laws, the accused names cannot be revealed at this stage of the proceedings.
Meanwhile, tragedy struck over the weekend in Ondo State when five people died in a boat mishap that occurred at Ugbo-Nla, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
The incident involved five seafood traders who drowned and died when their boat capsized on the waterways.
The incident occurred when the victims were in transit to the market in the coastal community.
According to the National President of the Ondo State Fishermen Association of Nigeria, Benedict Orioye Gbayisemore, only one trader was rescued alive out of the six traders who were on the boat.
“Their boat capsized, and five of the travellers died, while only one person was rescued due to the use of a life jacket,” Gbayisemore disclosed.
He expressed sympathy to the bereaved families and relatives while reiterating the importance of life jackets for commuters on waterways.