A VIOLENT protest by hundreds of people has trailed the death of a Nigerian in police custody in China's southern city of Guangzhou, state media and police said.

According to agency reports, the police said in an online statement on Tuesday that the man was detained after he fought with the driver of an electric bicycle over a fare on Monday. He later fell unconscious in custody, and died despite efforts to revive him.

The statement said authorities were investigating the death of the unnamed man.

Police could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Meanwhile, Italy's embassy in Abuja yesterday said there would be no further comments on the circumstances surrounding the death of an Italian national while under the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mauro Zanin, a suspected fraudster, is thought by the commission to have committed suicide.

The Global Times newspaper said around 500 protesters threw rocks at police vehicles and private cars, after authorities did not allow the Nigerian victim's family to see the body.

The official Xinhua news agency put the number of protesters at more than 100.

Photographs posted on Chinese microblogs showed scores of people standing at an underpass and apparently blocking traffic while a line of police in blue uniforms stood guard.

A community website aimed at foreigners living in southern China, The Nanfang, claimed the African man was beaten by a group of Chinese in the argument with the driver.

Guangzhou has a relatively large African population, estimated by Chinese media reports at 200 000.

Following the protest, police in Guangzhou have urged foreigners living in the city not to disturb public order and to abide by Chinese law.

Responding to an enquiry by The Guardian, the Charge d'Affaires of the embassy, Dr. Bazani said: "Our condolences have been conveyed to the family and we do not want to issue any statement on this issue"

The country's head of mission was asked to comment on the nature of death of the Italian, whether there had been any home government investigations into his activities and whether the embassy had employed an independent medical personnel that could make a judgement on the cause of Zanin's death.

But he declined comments and instead said: "Any other matter, please expect our fullest cooperation with The Guardian but no more comments on this. We will not issue a statement on this matter"

A new Ambassador of Italy to Nigeria is expected to resume sometime next month. Dr. Bazani has been acting head of mission and Charge d' Affaires to Nigeria since the last ambassador Dr. Roberto Colamine left.