The murder of a wandering African vendor in Italy sparked political quarrels before the national elections next September, causing renewed controversy over racism in the European country, according to the New York Times.

In the details of the incident, the Nigerian migrant named Lieka Ogorshoku was killed on Friday after being hit by an Italian citizen with a crutch until death on a main shopping street in Civitanova Marche, a coastal town on the Adriatic Sea coast, as shown in a video of the assault that was circulated thousands of times on social media.

Bystanders remained spectators to the incident without anyone intervening despite the assault continuing for four minutes, according to the American newspaper.

Patrick Gubadia, deputy secretary of an association representing Nigerians in Italy, said: "Let's condemn the fact itself and the behavior of the people who stood watching and saw a disabled person being killed with a crutch and recorded it," instead of intervening. He added: "It's shameful."

A decade ago, Ogorshoku moved to Italy to join his wife, Charty Orashi, in the town of San Severino Marche, an hour's drive from the coast.

Francesco Mantella, the lawyer who helped the family and has represented Orashi for eight years, said, "Now that she is alone and has a son, you can imagine how hard it is."

Ogorshoku, 39, resorted to selling goods after he was hit by a car last year while riding his bike, an accident that forced him to use a crutch to move.