Marcus Omofuma

Marcus Omofuma (10 May 1973 – 1 May 1999) was a Nigerian asylum seeker in Austria who died due to police brutality while being deported. His death became a symbol for anti-racist movements in Austria.

Life Omofuma was part of the Yoruba fraternity Ogboni and was escaping Nigeria from death threats within the fraternity. In 1994, he arrived in Germany and failed to gain asylum. In November 1998, he fled to Austria and again sought for asylum due to his persecution by the Ogboni fraternity. The Austrian authorities declined his asylum in two instances and detained him from December 1998 on.

On 1 May 1999, 25-year-old Omofuma was being deported from Austria. Three police officers put him in a plane operated by Balkan Airlines to Sofia. Because he was resisting, they fettered and gagged him and fixed him on his plane seat. The tape that was used to fetter him was not checked during the whole flight and it made it impossible for him to breathe. He died painfully during the ca. 1 hour flight. His death was realized when landing in Sofia.

The three police officers who were responsible for his death were suspended from their duty, but in February 2001 the suspension was removed. In 2002, they were convicted to 8 months of prison due to "negligent homicide under especially dangerous circumstances". The defenders of the police officers argued that Omofuma himself had carried responsibility for his death, because he had resisted his deportation. All three could continue their duties as police officers. In 2009, two of them were still working as police officers, while one was retired. The punishment was criticized by activists and human rights organisations as too low. Right-wing politician Jörg Haider called Omofuma a "drug dealer", when the memorial stone was erected. Omofuma's daughter filed a lawsuit against Haider for defamation and won.