A brutal robbery on the streets of Malaga has sparked local outrage and a fierce political response.

The suspect, a Nigerian man, is accused of pummelling his victim with a knuckle duster before stabbing him in the head with a blade.

The force of the stab was so strong that the handle snapped off, leaving the metal of the blade lodged in the victim’s skull – which was not discovered until at hospital.

The suspect was arrested 72 hours later while allegedly trying to steal a mobile phone on a Malaga city bus.

The victim, a 36-year-old Malaga resident from Churriana, remains in a coma in the intensive care unit of Malaga’s Regional Hospital after surgeons removed the seven-centimetre blade embedded in his skull.

The horrific attack took place last Friday afternoon. The victim had arranged to meet a colleague to collect his car from a family business in Guadalmar.

When he arrived, he found a man inside the vehicle after the thief had smashed a window to get in.

According to reports, the owner grabbed the suspect by the arm in an attempt to pull him out of the car.

At that moment the attacker allegedly pulled out a knuckle-duster and began hitting him repeatedly with extreme violence.

The victim’s colleague was also injured during the incident, although his injuries were minor.

The full extent of the attack became clear later at the hospital. During scans, doctors discovered that the victim not only had severe head trauma from the beating, but also had a seven-centimetre knife blade lodged inside his head.

Surgeons carried out an emergency operation described as a life-or-death procedure in order to remove the metal fragment.

The man has remained sedated since then, on mechanical ventilation and with a guarded prognosis.

The case has sparked political reactions in Malaga.

The Vox group at Malaga City Council jumped on the incident to attack immigration policies.

The hard-right party issued a statement expressing support for the victim and his family, saying the attack had ‘shocked the entire city’.

Spokesperson Antonio Alcazar said: ‘We want to express our solidarity with this Malaga resident and wish him a speedy recovery.’

However, the party also used the incident to criticise the city government and national migration policies.

Alcazar argued that the assault was not an isolated case but part of what he described as a broader deterioration in security affecting residents.

He also criticised Malaga mayor Francisco de la Torre, accusing him of failing to take a firm stance on immigration policy.

‘The mayor has abandoned the people of Malaga,’ Alcazar said, referencing previous political disagreements over proposals related to the regularisation of migrants.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.