Authorities in India have launched a search for a Nigerian national, Odia Izu Peculiar, in connection with the death of another Nigerian, 32-year-old Lucky Ikechukwu Uije, following a violent altercation in the Nalasopara East area of Maharashtra.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the Tulinj police said the incident occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday near Monu Grocery Shop in Pragati Nagar, a neighbourhood known for its sizable Nigerian community.

Investigators disclosed that three Nigerians — 50-year-old Peculiar, 50-year-old Ayula Babajide Bartholomew, and 47-year-old Oghene Igere — were reportedly engaged in a discussion with the victim when an argument broke out. Witnesses told police that the disagreement escalated quickly, resulting in Uije being struck on the head with a broken bottle.

Tulinj Police Senior Inspector Datta Totewad confirmed that two suspects, Bartholomew and Igere, were arrested at the scene, while the third suspect, Peculiar, fled before officers arrived.

Totewad said: “We received information about a fight involving four Nigerian nationals around midnight. When our team arrived, we found one man severely injured. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Two suspects were apprehended, and efforts are ongoing to trace the third individual who escaped.”

Police have intensified patrols and surveillance in the area as part of efforts to locate the fugitive. Officials also said that the local Nigerian community is cooperating with investigators to help identify Peculiar’s whereabouts.

The body of the deceased has been sent for post-mortem examination at a government hospital. Authorities added that the Nigerian Consulate in Mumbai has been notified of the incident and briefed on the ongoing investigation.

Totewad further stated that the case is being treated as homicide under Indian law. “We are examining CCTV footage and questioning witnesses to establish the exact sequence of events,” he said.

The police have appealed to residents to come forward with any information that could assist in locating the missing suspect. (The Guardian, but headline rejigged)

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