05/09/2013 00:00
TW
0

Palma.—Shops were open as usual and everyone in the Palma neighbourhood of Son Gotleu went about their business as usual yesterday while police continued with their investigation into the death of a young Nigerian in the early hours of Monday morning. Efosa Okosun apparently fell from a fifth floor balcony, but local Nigerians blamed the ethnic gypsy community for his death and this sparked violent clashes between the Nigerian community and the police throughout the night and into the morning.

30 vehicles were set alight, waste bins torched and the main Fra Joan Alcina square seriously damaged, so a major clean up operation was also under way yesterday.

On the beat
The best part of 130 members of the National and Local Police forces were on the beat to keep the peace after units had also been on site throughout the night to prevent any further flare ups.

Under a police presence, leading members of the Nigerian and gypsy community held talks yesterday morning and pledged to keep the peace in the future and to make a bigger effort to live together in harmony.

However, while the gypsy community said that it will leave it to the police and judiciary to uncover what happened to Efosa Okosun, it appears that the Nigerian community is still suspicious about his death being an accident.

There are eyewitnesses who claim that they saw the victim being chased by two men who were demanding money.
When Okosun fell, he was apparently trying to climb from one balcony to another of his own apartment. In doing so, he grabbed on to a pipe which gave way and he fell, causing his “accidental” death, as far as the police are currently concerned.

It appears that some members of the gypsy community are worried about further reprisals and have left to stay with friends or relatives elsewhere on the island.

Council
Members of Palma City Council including the Councillor for Civil Security, Guillem Navarro, also visited the scenes and met members of both communities in an attempt to ease the tension and ease the community's fear of further violence.