The Nigerian Government has intensified pressure on South African authorities to investigate the deaths of three Nigerian nationals in separate incidents across the country within four days.
The Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg said it was seeking answers over the deaths recorded between September 18 and 21 in Bloemfontein, Pretoria and Ekurhuleni, amid growing concerns over the safety and treatment of Nigerians in South Africa.
Consul-General, Ambassador Nnikanwa Okey-Uche, called for transparent investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, stressing that allegations of wrongdoing must be subjected to due process and that anyone found culpable should face the law.
The latest incidents have renewed diplomatic concerns over the safety of Nigerians in South Africa, coming weeks after the Nigerian mission raised concerns over several deaths involving Nigerian nationals and issued safety advisories to members of the Nigerian community.
The first of the latest incidents involved Kenechukwu Christopher Igwemmadu, who died in Bloemfontein on September 18.
According to the Consulate, Igwemmadu allegedly jumped from a building at Kenlin Court on Douglas Street while attempting to escape alleged police harassment and brutality.
The allegation has not been independently established, making a formal investigation necessary to determine the circumstances preceding his fatal fall.
Two days later, Olaniyi Olaleye Olatunde, a Nigerian security guard, was shot at Spanata Bar and Grills Night Club in Mamelodi East, Pretoria, following an argument reportedly involving a cup belonging to the establishment.
The Consulate said Olatunde was taken to Mamelodi Hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound but died on September 21.
It further alleged that the unidentified gunman returned to the nightclub and threatened witnesses before leaving the scene.
The third case involved Christian Hillary Nnaemeka, whose death in Primrose, Ekurhuleni, has attracted particular attention because of allegations involving television personality Xolani Khumalo and members of the Sizok’thola team.
The Nigerian mission alleged that Nnaemeka was assaulted and tortured during an encounter with Khumalo and members of his team before he attempted to escape.
He reportedly collapsed from injuries and exhaustion and was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The allegations remain subject to investigation and have not been established in court.
The case has nevertheless revived concerns over the death of another Nigerian, Emeka Clement Uzor, who was fatally shot in February during an operation in Windsor East, Johannesburg, involving a production team associated with Sizok’thola.
South African police opened a murder investigation into Uzor’s death, while preliminary police information indicated that shots were allegedly fired by members of the production team’s security.
The latest case has therefore renewed scrutiny of the boundary between legitimate anti-crime activities and the use of force outside established law-enforcement procedures.
The Nigerian Consulate has stressed that allegations of criminal activity should not replace proper investigation, arrest and prosecution, and that Nigerian nationals must be afforded due process under South African law.
The issue is particularly sensitive against the backdrop of longstanding tensions over xenophobia and the treatment of African migrants in South Africa. Violent attacks on foreign nationals in 2008 left at least 62 people dead and triggered international condemnation.
Nigerians have subsequently been among migrant communities affected by episodes of xenophobic violence, making the protection of Nigerian nationals a recurring issue in relations between Abuja and Pretoria.
The Nigerian mission has also urged Nigerians in South Africa to remain calm and refrain from retaliatory action, insisting that grievances should be pursued through lawful channels.
The Consulate recently issued a separate safety advisory to Nigerians in Kempton Park, Rhodesfield and surrounding areas of Ekurhuleni following investigations into the deaths of eight women. South African authorities had deployed a multidisciplinary law-enforcement team, although they had not established that the deaths were connected.
With three additional Nigerian deaths now recorded within four days, the latest incidents have placed renewed pressure on South African authorities to establish the facts, determine whether any laws were violated and ensure accountability where wrongdoing is proven.
For the Nigerian Government and affected families, the immediate concern is that every disputed death receives an independent and credible investigation, regardless of allegations surrounding the deceased.
The developments have also heightened calls for stronger protection of Nigerians who come into contact with police, private security personnel and informal anti-crime groups, amid growing demands for assurances that the right to life and due process will be upheld.
