A 38-year-old Nigerian man, Chidi Emmanuel Okafor, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of a police officer in Keimoes, Northern Cape, South Africa. The sentence was delivered by the Upington Division of the High Court on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe, spokesperson for the Northern Cape Hawks, the crime occurred in January 2020 when Okafor attacked the officer and his friend while they were sleeping. The officer was fatally stabbed, and his friend sustained serious injuries.
Okafor faced charges of housebreaking with intent to commit murder, attempted murder, and murder. Following the incident, he went into hiding but was eventually traced to Klerksdorp and arrested. After a protracted trial, Okafor was convicted in August 2024.
Major General Stephen Mabuela, Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Northern Cape, expressed that the murder of police officers severely hampers crime-fighting efforts and represents a direct attack on state authority. He welcomed the sentence as an important step toward justice.
The efforts of the Upington Hawks Serious Organized Crime unit were also commended for their role in locating and investigating Okafor. The life sentence is seen as a victory for justice and a warning to those who seek to harm law enforcement officers.