The victim and the attacker knew each other: a few instants before the murder took place at around 7:30 pm on Saturday (October 14), the two migrants were reportedly seen at the Anthony Bar in Cesare Battisti square in downtown Ventimiglia, near the train station, drinking coffee together at the same table.

As initial findings from the investigation come to light, residents and shopkeepers are grappling with another distressing episode of violence. Frustration is mounting due to the growing number of migrants in the border city.

'No previous quarrels between the pair'

The pair, both Nigerian nationals, "had always got on well," according to a witness. Clients of the bar, which has been closed to the public along with the outdoor area where the murder occurred, said they had never seen them quarrel before. The reasons for the quarrel are still unknown, investigative sources said.

One of the Nigerians was stabbed in the throat by the other, who is 29. The victim fell on the pavement in a pool of blood. The other man, who was also wounded, was taken to the ER of the Borea hospital in the nearby Ligurian city of Sanremo with wounds to the abdomen and chest.

When his condition deteriorated overnight, he was transferred to the Santa Corona hospital in Pietra Ligure, where he underwent surgery.

Rage and fear of residents

Meanwhile in Ventimiglia, shopkeepers and residents are growing increasingly concerned, alarmed by the presence of a large number of migrants attempting to cross the border into France.

"Working here has become impossible," said the owners of bars and restaurants in piazza Battisti, where the murder took place.

"If it goes on like this, we won't be able to leave home," a passerby commented.

Before the incident the square in front of the station was often full of life with bars and an ice cream shop often crowded with many residents.

League asks for CPR

The local section of the League, the party of Ventimiglia Mayor Flavio Di Muro, issued a statement on Sunday, October 15, describing the murder in the heart of the city as a "foreseeable tragedy." They stressed that while much has been done within the limits of municipal administration, more significant action is needed.

Mayor Di Muro and the League have called for the establishment of a hosting and repatriation center (CPR) designed to detain individuals facing expulsion from the national territory, especially those with criminal records.

In the note, they emphasized the urgency of such a facility, one with gates that close at night to prevent migrants from camping out or committing criminal acts. "We've endured far too much; it's time to say 'enough,'" the note concluded.