The Nigerian government has condemned the continuous murder of Nigerians in South Africa by xenophobic groups and security officials.
The Nigerian Consulate-General, Nnikanwa Okey-Uche, described the recent murder of three Nigerians in the country as disturbing incidents that must be investigated.
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Mr Okey-Uche, in a statement on Monday, demanded that South African authorities establish the circumstances surrounding the gruesome deaths of the Nigerians.
He said those responsible must be held accountable for “their grievous actions,” as a crucial step toward addressing concerns about the safety of Nigerians and other foreigners in the country.
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PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the murder of Kenechukwu Igwemmadu, Olaniyi Olatunde, and Christian Nnaemeka last week. Their deaths bring the total number of Nigerians killed in South Africa since the start of the year to at least 12.
The Nigerian Ambassador-designate to South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, Femi Fani-Kayode, also estimated that around 112 Nigerians have been killed since 2022.
“32 of the victims were killed by members of the South African security forces,” he said in a statement.
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The ambassador also pointed out that no one has been brought to justice or convicted over any of these cases.
Mr Fani-Kayode appealed to South Africa to “bring those who are responsible for them to justice and to protect our people.”
This paper has extensively reported the growing violence against Nigerians and other Africans in the country since the latest wave of xenophobia began. The situation has led to a diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa in recent months.
In May, after the deaths of the two Nigerians, the Nigerian government summoned Pretoria’s country representative and demanded an investigation into the incident.
In July, President Bola Tinubu snubbed a special South African delegation sent by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and instead directed the visiting team to meet with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye.
Weeks ago, the National Assembly also suspended official visits to the country and directed its members and officials to boycott legislative activities hosted or organised by South African authorities until further notice.
At least five Mozambicans, four Ghanaians, and one Ugandan have also been killed in the country.
Since June, African states have been repatriating their citizens. Ghana was the first to begin the exercise, repatriating 300 nationals. The country has now evacuated more than 1500 citizens. Mozambique has also repatriated over 700 citizens, and Malawi, over 170.
The latest batch of 105 Nigerians arrived in the country last Thursday, days before the deaths of the three citizens. The group comprised 83 adults and 23 students, and state officials received them.
Private actors and religious bodies have donated to help repatriate more citizens. The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), for instance, donated over $265,000 to purchase one-way tickets to evacuate 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa.
More than 1,640 Nigerians have been repatriated from the country since June.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attributed the situation to illegal migration and the actions of “opportunists” who are exploiting public sentiment to carry out “criminal acts.”
He promised his government would crack down on the perpetrators, saying lawlessness cannot be tolerated.
He said, “These are the acts of opportunists who are exploiting the legitimate grievances, particularly those of the poor, under the false guise of ‘community activism’.”
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