A man has been arrested by Italian police
investigating the killing of a Nigerian immigrant
which the government has condemned as a racist
attack.

Police say a row broke out at Fermo on Italy's west
coast when racist abuse was hurled at the partner
of Emmanuel Chidi Namdi, 36.
The violence escalated when a traffic pole was
pulled from the ground. The victim later died in
hospital.


A local man described as a well-known "ultra"
football fan is being held.
Amedeo Mancini, 35, was arrested on Thursday on
suspicion of racially aggravated manslaughter. His
lawyer said he "did not mean to kill" and that he had
punched the Nigerian in self defence.


Fleeing Boko Haram

Emmanuel Chidi fled Nigeria with his partner
Chinyery, 24, after their families came under attack
from jihadist group Boko Haram.
Their families were killed in an attack on a Nigerian
church in 2015, Italian media reported.
As the couple made their way across the
Mediterranean, their baby died.

They finally arrived in Fermo last November and
were taken in by a local Christian charity. They had
a wedding ceremony in January, conducted by local
priest Father Vinicio Albanesi, which was unofficial
because they had lost their documents, Rai TV
reported.

What happened on Tuesday evening is unclear.
However, it is thought that the attacker subjected
Chinyery to racist chanting and then grabbed her.
At that point the traffic pole was pulled out of the
ground as Emmanuel Chidi and his attacker came to
blows. He was taken to hospital in a coma but
never recovered.

#Emmanuel trending across Italy
Local churches which have worked with migrants
have recently been targeted by small bombs,
according to Father Vinicio Albanesi.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was among many
across Italy who took to social media to express
disgust at the killing, using the hashtag Emmanuel.
"The government today is in Fermo with Don Vinicio
and the local institutions in memory of Emmanuel.
Against hate, racism and violence," he wrote.
Visiting the town, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano
told reporters on Thursday that the seed of racism
had to be stopped before it could bear fruit. "The
heart of Italy isn't represented by those who carried
out this murder."
He also announced that Emmanuel Chidi's partner
Chinyery had been granted refugee status.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36733575