Osamyia Aikpitanhi, a 23 year old from Nigeria died on the 09/06/2007 when he was deported back to Nigeria from Spain (1). The Iberia flight took off from Madrid but made an emergency lading in Alicante when the police officers discovered he was dead.
Osamyia’s family accused the two police officers from La Policia Nacional who escorted Osamyia of beating him up, with three accomplices. According to el Pais, the possible cause of death was from swelling after the police officers put a bandage inside Osamyia's mouth, allegedly to stop him biting. (2)
Osamyia’s brother Chester believes his brother was very badly beaten up by the two police officers. He has spoken to one of the other three Nigerians who were deported on the same flight, and was told by one of them that they saw the police beating up Osamyia. Chester stated that his brother's hands and feet were bound and that there was plasters in his mouth.
According to the Spanish press, the Spanish Home office needs to pay 180.000 euros to the family and the police officers face permanent exclusion from the force and up to 3 years in jail (3).
The family’s lawyer Pedro de Bernardo has said that the court hearing will be on 16th-17th March 2011 in Elche (Alicante) (4)
People who are deported from Spain are normally tied up and sonmetimes made to wear a helmet; belts and other horrible measures are also used to stop them resisting their deportation. Each deportee has to be escorted by two police officers from La Policia Nacional.
The Iberia deportation flight contained 97 passengers ; none of whom, according to the Spanish press, have come forward as a witness.
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(1) http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/nigeriano/papeles/fallece/avion/er...
(2) http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/nigeriano/papeles/fallece/avion
/era/deportado/custodia/policial/elpepuesp/20070611elpepinac_18/Tes
(3) http://www.diarioinformacion.com/elche/2009/05/06/elche-piden-policias-v...
(4) http://www.lasprovincias.es/20101019/comunitatvalenciana/provincia_alica...