These were the words of 46-year-old Pius Ezekwem, a Nigerian businessman who had sojourned to South Africa.
He had been hounded to his Eastern Cape Town home by South African policemen.
They believed they needed to take him away, but he believed his life was probably not secure if he went with them, obviously based on the experience of some of his compatriots.
“If you want to kill me, kill me here!”
On and on he cried, in the presence of his South African wife, and his children.
Then followed more agonising yelling and by the time the policemen were leaving Ezekwem had been killed.
Since Tuesday night when many Nigerians heard the tape of his last moments, as played on Channels News at 10, they have remained terrorised by the horrific sound of xenophobia.
As a result, anger is tumbling and down social media, with many calling on the Federal Government to take a more decisive action on the treatment south Africa is meting out to Nigerians there.
He residing in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa has been killed.
According to reports, Ezekwem, who ran a chain of bed and breakfast guest houses, was picked up by eight police officers at a Nigerian eatery last weekend and was forcefully taken to his home for a search and interrogation.
“An argument between Pius and the South African police officers degenerated so fast that a gun shot was fired, leading to his death. He reportedly asked the policemen to kill him in his house as he would not follow them to where they wanted to take him to. Sadly, the policemen allegedly killed him in the presence of his family.
All phones were seized except that of Pius’ sister in-law who recorded his altercation with the police.
Confirming the incident, the Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa, Godwin Adama, said a formal report has been launched to the South African police on the incident,” one of the reports indicated, while Adama also spoke to Channels.
