Two More Nigerians Killed in South Africa Amid Attacks

Two more Nigerians have been killed in South Africa as violence against black foreigners continues.

The Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg announced the deaths in a statement on Saturday.

The victims are Emeka Iroegbu and Musa Joe. Both were killed last Sunday, 28 June, but in different ways.

According to the consulate, Mr Joe was killed by “suspected criminals” in Witbank, Mpumalanga province. Security forces killed Mr Iroegbu in Sunnyside, Pretoria.

Reports say Mr Iroegbu was tortured to death by officers of the Tshwane Metro Police in Pretoria. The consulate mentioned that the victim faced severe torture from the Metro police, which caused his death.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that these latest deaths bring the total number of Nigerians killed in South Africa during this wave of xenophobic attacks to four. The pattern of these deaths is similar to the earlier murders of two Nigerians: Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew.

These men were arrested and allegedly beaten to death by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Port Elizabeth. Mr Andrew’s body was found days after he was arrested on 19 April in the Booysens area of Pretoria.

His arrest followed an alleged confrontation with the Tshwane Metro Police, and his body was later discovered at the Pretoria Central Mortuary. Mr Emmanuel died the day after due to injuries from an attack by the SANDF.

After these incidents, the Nigerian government called the South African High Commissioner and demanded a thorough probe into the deaths of the two Nigerians.

This investigation is still ongoing, and no arrests have been made in two months. Nigerian officials have often condemned the attacks in South Africa but have also asked Nigerians not to retaliate against South African interests in Nigeria.

South Africa’s anti-foreigner campaign started in April, with videos showing citizens attacking African foreigners spreading online. The 30 June deadline set by anti-immigrant South Africans for foreigners to leave the country has added to the tension.

Last Tuesday, many South Africans marched in cities to protest against African migrants, chanting “Abahambe!” which means “They must go!” in Zulu, the most spoken language in the country.

At least five Mozambicans and five Ethiopians have also reportedly died from xenophobic violence in South Africa.

The latest announcement from the Nigerian consulate pushes the death toll higher. Hundreds of African foreigners have been displaced. During the protest last week, shops were looted and properties destroyed, which often happens during xenophobic attacks.

Several African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, have repatriated hundreds of their citizens.

The Nigerian consulate stated that the ongoing pattern of these “terrible incidents raises questions over the safety of Nigerians and other foreigners in South Africa.”

“The deaths come at a time when foreigners are being wrongly targeted in South Africa. This raises concerns about a deliberate attempt to wrongly label hardworking and respectable Nigerians as criminals,” the consulate noted.

The consulate also called for a thorough and immediate investigation into the murders.

“We expect the authorities to take action and ensure the prosecution of those responsible,” the statement said.