Blue plaque remembering drowned British-Nigerian man stolen just hours after unveiling
David Oluwale drowned in Leeds in 1969 after being harassed by police
Last updated 26th Apr 2022
A blue plaque remembering a British-Nigerian man who drowned in Leeds after being harassed by police has been stolen, just hours after it was unveiled.
The tribute to David Olewale was unveiled on Leeds Bridge close to the spot where he drowned in 1969.
In a Tweet this morning, Leeds Civic Trust revealed it had been stolen overnight, calling it an " abhorrent and cowardly theft".
Police have since confirmed they are treating the incident as a hate crime, and believe the plaque was stolen between 21:30 and 22:00 on Monday April 25.
Leeds District Commander, Chief Superintendent Damien Miller said: “It is truly appallingly that someone would remove the plaque commemorating the life of David Oluwale, and we recognise the significant impact that this act will have had on all those involved in keeping David’s memory alive and on the wider community.
“The timing clearly suggests that this has been a deliberately targeted act and we are classing this as a hate crime."
Who was David Oluwale?
David Oluwale came to Britain from Nigeria in August 1949, hiding on a cargo ship that was travelling to Hull.
He spent the final two years of his life homeless in Leeds city centre, where he was routinely harassed and abused by two police officers.
Oluwale was chased onto a bridge onto the River Aire in April 1969, where his body was found in the water two weeks later.
Two police officers were jailed for a series of assaults on Oluwale a short time after, but were found not guilty of manslaughter.