South Africa must return my slain brother’s corpse– Sibling

The distressing situation faced by Onyema Ekpenyong, a Lagos-based businessman, in his quest to repatriate his brother Andrew's body from South Africa highlights the complex and often tragic experiences of Nigerians living abroad. Andrew Ekpenyong, who had established a life as a mechanic in South Africa since 2007, died under circumstances that have raised serious questions for his family.

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So, when they sent me the message about my brother’s death, I was devastated. They said they discovered his lifeless body in a morgue a day after the police came to his house.

The narrative surrounding Andrew's death is particularly concerning. After being called out of his home on a Sunday evening, he never returned. Later, police searched his residence but found nothing incriminating. The subsequent discovery of his body in a government mortuary the following day, with police claiming he died while jogging, has fueled suspicion and a demand for answers from the family and the Nigerian community in South Africa.

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They said the police claimed he was jogging, fell down, and died, so they took him to the mortuary.

Ekpenyong's brother is now appealing for the return of Andrew's corpse, indicating a deep desire for closure and a proper burial in his homeland. This case underscores the challenges faced by families seeking to understand the fate of loved ones abroad, especially when the circumstances of death are ambiguous and involve interactions with local authorities. The Nigerian community's involvement in discovering the body and alerting the family points to the vital support networks that exist for expatriates, even amidst such profound tragedy.

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Although the apprentice said he was upstairs when the police came, his girlfriend, who was downstairs, denied