On December 31, 2023, Winnipeg police were called to an apartment building where 19-year-old Afolabi Stephen Opaso, a first-year international student from Nigeria at the University of Manitoba, was experiencing a mental health crisis. 

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There is an audio recording of two police officers where, within seconds of their arrival at the location, shots were fired at Opaso, who later died in hospital. There are no indications in the audio recording that Opaso was acting “erratically” or engaging in criminal behavior. 

This audio not only depicts an unreasonable use of force but also a lack of de-escalation policies during a mental health crisis. 

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We want to take this time to express our condolences and support to the family and loved ones of Afolabi Stephen Opaso during this time. The loss of his life is tragic and irreplaceable.  

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The Canadian Federation of Students stands in solidarity with the University of Manitoba student body, Nigerian International Student and Nigerian-Canadian communities. We stand firm on our demand for justice and immediate answers, which starts with accountability and transparency.

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Anti-black racism and violence are deep-rooted and systemic across Canada, especially that which is experienced by the Nigerian-Canadian and Nigerian International Student communities. The disparity in treatment towards black international students cannot continue in silence. Their voices & stories need to be heard and amplified at all levels. We must acknowledge Afolabi’s death as a result of the historic, systematic failures in policing and mental health services. 

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Afolabi’s story does not stand as an isolated incident. The consequences of negligence in public services have a ripple effect on racialized, international and Indigenous students when they call for help. The lives & contributions of these students are precious and must be treated as so. 

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We are calling on the Winnipeg police department to immediately provide full accountability and transparency into why Afolabi Stephen Opaso was killed. We demand a full review by the Government of Manitoba into the handling of this case and relevant solutions to expanding first responses to mental health crises taking into account intersectionality & de-escalation techniques. 

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We must uncover the racism and xenophobia present in the system in order to create mental health services fully accessible for international students. 

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In Solidarity,

The Canadian Federation of Students

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The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada’s oldest and largest students’ union, uniting more than 530,000 college and university students in the demand for high-quality, public, post-secondary education.