Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Human rights lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called for a holistic investigation into the brutal killing of Michael Ekemezie, a 39-year-old Nigerian man based in Switzerland.
The counsel urged the Nigerian government and Swiss authorities to probe the killing allegedly perpetrated by some Swiss police officers.
A video clip that has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) shows the moment Ekemezie was pinned to the ground by a Swiss police officer, crying out in pain and shouting before his eventual death.
Mr Ejiofor, in a petition to the Nigerian government, alleged that Mr Ekemezie died on 25 May after he was subjected to “brutal and excessive force” in Lausanne, Switzerland, by the Swiss police.
The lawyer also copied Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission and other government agencies in the petition dated 30 May 2025.
In the petition, Ejiofor highlighted the glaring silence from the global community, particularly the international media, following the May 25th tragedy.
He said the deafening silence is not just unacceptable but also deeply disturbing, hinting at a possible attempt to downplay or cover up the heinous nature of the killing.
He criticized the Swiss authorities for their poor response, saying it has failed to meet the minimum threshold of transparency and urgency required in such egregious cases of state-sanctioned violence.
“It is with profound heartbreak and heavy sense of outrage that we speak on the tragic killing of Mr. Michael Kenechukwu Ekemezie, a Nigerian citizen and an indigene of Anambra State, who was fatally assaulted by officers of the Swiss police in Lausanne, Switzerland, on May 25, 2025.
“Ekemezie had lived in Switzerland for over a decade, working hard like many others to pursue a better life. But on that day, his life was cut short in a brutal encounter with law enforcement. This encounter bears chilling similarities to the infamous murder of George Floyd in the United States, exactly five years earlier.
“We remember how the world watched in horror on May 25, 2020, when George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was murdered in cold blood- a White police officer knelt on his neck for over nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face-down on a street in Minneapolis. His final words/dying cries, his helplessness, and the silence of those around him sparked a global reckoning with racial injustice and police brutality.
“Sadly, history has repeated itself on May 25, 2025. The footage emerging from Lausanne shows Michael, too, handcuffed and pinned face-down, by an officer who used brutal force that proved fatal. His distress was visible. His life could have been saved. But he was left there- ignored, unheard, ultimately lifeless. No attempt was made to help him. He was subjected to lethal force that ultimately led to his death.
“What is equally painful is not only the brutal manner of Mr. Ekemezie’s death but the deafening silence that has followed it. Unlike the global response that followed George Floyd’s death, the murder of Mr. Ekemezie has received little to no coverage from major international media outlets such as CNN, BBC, or Al Jazeera. Within Nigeria, mainstream media has also largely remained silent.
“This silence is both unacceptable and deeply troubling, especially as it suggests a deliberate effort to downplay or conceal the brutal nature of the killing. It further suggests that Michael’s life, like those of many Africans, can be taken without consequence or even acknowledgement,” Ejiofor said.
Ejiofor expressed disappointment that despite widespread protests by Nigerians and other Africans in Switzerland calling for accountability, transparency, and justice, the Swiss government’s response has been disappointingly lukewarm.
He said following an official briefing from Ekemezie’s family, the legal team promptly initiated efforts to seek justice via diplomatic and legal channels, with the aim of activating all pertinent international legal and diplomatic instruments.
“We have since submitted a detailed and strongly-worded petition to the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria, demanding the immediate identification, arrest, and prosecution of the officers involved in this heinous act.
“Among other things, our petition calls for a full, independent, and transparent investigation into the incident, an official apology and appropriate compensation for the deceased family, and concrete reforms to prevent such abuse in the future.
“We have also formally petitioned the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and other relevant government bodies, demanding prompt diplomatic engagement with the Swiss Government. The life of every Nigerian citizen, whether at home or abroad, must be treated with dignity and protected with resolve.
“This is not merely about one man’s death—it is about justice, dignity, and the sanctity of human life. It is about sending a clear message that Nigerian lives cannot be wasted with impunity and that the international community must not turn a blind eye when Africans are killed unjustly.”
