Nigerian man living in an abandoned building in south Cyprus attacked by a gang of fellow Nigerians

A 31-year-old Nigerian man living in an abandoned apartment in Larnaca south Cyprus was hospitalized on New Year’s Day after being assaulted and injured with a sharp object by a group of other Nigerian men.

Greek Cypriot police said they were alerted to the incident at around 7:20 pm on Wednesday January 1, when the police received reports of the man who was found injured outside a taxi office.

The victim was taken in an ambulance to Larnaca General Hospital before police arrived at the scene. 

Officers who later attended the hospital found the man had sustained injuries at the base of his little finger and a 6-centimetre laceration on his hand.

Hospital staff treated the wounds and fitted a splint to his left little finger before discharging him.

The victim told police that around 6:45 pm, whilst he was in an abandoned flat in Oroklini where he occasionally stays with his partner, nine of his fellow countrymen, whose identities he does not know, entered the premises.

They allegedly assaulted him and wounded him with a sharp object.

According to his statement to police, the assailants forcibly took him in one of their two vehicles and drove towards Larnaca. He reported that he managed to escape at some point during the journey and ran to the taxi office seeking help.

The Larnaca Criminal Investigation Department in investigating the case. 

Police said a 28-year-old man was arrested on Thursday afternoon in connection with the attack after a warrant was issued against him.

He was taken to court on Friday morning on charges of kidnapping and causing bodily harm. The court remanded the suspect in police custody for 7 days.