S’Africa silent as outrage trails killing of two Nigerians - Punch Newspapers

There has been outrage among Nigerians following the killing of two Nigerian nationals, Bishop Michael Fakunle and James Nwankwo, in separate incidents in South Africa. Fakunle, an indigene of Iye in the Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was allegedly shot dead by unknown persons at his residence in Johannesburg on September 4, after reportedly receiving a series of threats. Nwankwo, on the other hand, reportedly died on September 5 following what has been described as “gruesome interrogation techniques” allegedly used by officers of the South African Police Service. The deaths have heightened concerns over the safety of Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa amid recurring xenophobic attacks and allegations of police brutality. According to Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, the two men were the seventh and eighth Nigerians allegedly murdered in South Africa this year. Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, said four of the eight Nigerians were allegedly killed by South African police officers. He said, “Bishop Fakunle and Mr Nwankwo are the 7th and 8th Nigerians to have been murdered in South Africa this year alone. “Outside of that, over 100 Nigerian nationals have been murdered in South Africa between 2022 and today and over 30 of them were killed by officers of the South African Police Service and South African Defence Force.” Speaking further, the ambassador-designate said, “What is most disturbing is the fact that despite our constant expressions of concern about this disturbing state of affairs, not one person has been arrested, detained, prosecuted or brought to justice for any of these heinous crimes.” He described the organisations behind the ultimatum as “racist, xenophobic and Afrophobic” and urged the South African Government to protect Nigerians from their activities. He added, “Simply put, our patience is wearing thin.” The development prompted the National Assembly on Friday to suspend all official visits to South Africa and direct its members and officials to boycott legislative activities hosted or organised by South African authorities until further notice. However, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, said the country had not received any official communication on the decision. Speaking in an interview with SABC News, Lamola said the development did not, at that stage, affect the bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa. He said, “We have not received any official communication in that regard, but our understanding is that it is the National Assembly of Nigeria, and it does not, at this stage, affect the bilateral relations between the two countries. “It will be very unfortunate if that will be because these are the two big giants of the African continent that need to work together.” Lamola said South Africa remained willing to engage with Nigeria over issues affecting the two countries. He added that Nigeria had given South Africa a list of about 100 Nigerians reportedly killed in the country, saying the South African authorities had verified the cases and remained open to discussions with the Nigerian government on how the deaths occurred and the reasons behind them. But while the South African minister responded to the parliamentary boycott, the South African Consul-General in Lagos, Prof Bobby Moroe, declined to comment directly on the latest killings when contacted by our correspondent. Moroe said responses would come from the South African government headquarters in Pretoria and that he would communicate them to our correspondent. As of Sunday night, no response had been received. The development has also generated reactions from Nigerians on social media. Chibuzor Anucha, writing on X as @royalchi, described Fakunle’s killing as “heartbreaking and deeply disturbing,” calling for a thorough investigation and justice for his family. James Agberebi (@jaymeshelsing) wrote, “With all the senseless killings in that useless country, yet some Nigerians still refused to leave.” Another user, Musan Zariya (@Musa95Aliu), called for tougher measures, including the recall of Nigeria’s ambassador, nationalisation of South African assets and blocking capital inflows into the country. Ibrahim James (@dazzlag_) said Nigeria could no longer afford to respond to the alleged mistreatment of its citizens with “diplomatic niceties,” calling for stronger measures and reciprocity. However, Olatunji Azeez (@tj_attires) cautioned against turning legitimate concerns over attacks on Nigerians into hatred for South Africans as a people. He said, “Behind every statistic is a Nigerian who left home looking for opportunities. Nigeria should protect its citizens wherever they are. But we also have to be careful not to turn legitimate concerns about attacks into hatred against an entire country or its people.” 2027 budget: FG gives MDAs September 18 deadline Nigeria thrash New Caledonia 10-1, reach U-20 World Cup knockouts Two women rape male driver after kidnapping in South Africa – Police Speaking with our correspondent, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, South Africa, Dr ABC Okokoh, said the killings of Nigerians had been a longstanding concern. Okokoh said the problem was not limited to Nigerians, noting that South Africa had a high level of violence involving different groups. He, however, alleged that Nigerian nationals were particularly vulnerable to high-handed treatment by the police. He said, “The matter our new ambassador has identified has been the order of the day. The killings have been going on. “It is not just that they are killing Nigerians alone; this is a country where there is a high level of violence, especially among different groups of people. “The police here use high-handedness, especially on Nigerians. It is not new. “There are a lot of cases that are still in court. At the end of the day, it doesn’t go so far because the cases are also being prosecuted by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, which means it is the state that is prosecuting the state.” Okokoh said some cases involving alleged killings of Nigerians by security personnel had been stalled, leaving families of victims without justice. He called for stronger legal and media support for affected families, saying increased public attention could help put pressure on the authorities to ensure accountability. Similarly, the President of the Association of Yorubas in Diaspora, South Africa, Dr Olusola Agbeniyi, expressed concern over what he described as the poor coverage of attacks against Nigerians by South African media. Agbeniyi said Nigerians often featured in South African media reports when they were accused of criminal activities, but that reports about Nigerians who were victims of violence were not given similar prominence. He said, “What gives me concern regarding the welfare matters about Nigerians in South Africa is that we hardly hear news about the killings of Nigerians in South Africa on the local media. “The only news we hear is Nigerians selling drugs or Nigerians who are arrested for being members of Black Axe and so on. When something bad happens to Nigerians in South Africa, the story is not available or not reported by the South African media. This also calls for further investigation and intervention.” On the reported September 30 ultimatum issued to African nationals, Agbeniyi urged the South African Government to take decisive action against groups promoting xenophobia. He said immigration matters were the responsibility of the government and that no private group had the authority to enforce immigration laws. “It is only the government that is constitutionally mandated to deal with immigration matters. The South African Government should be bold enough to clamp down on any individual involved in acts of xenophobia against immigrants. “Such people should be arrested and prosecuted. No citizen has a right to perform the duty of law enforcement agents. It is unlawful. If the government is watching them doing this, then they encourage it,” he said. The President-General of the Nigerian Union South Africa, Dr Smart Nwobi, also called for immediate action by the South African authorities. Nwobi said every allegation surrounding the deaths should be thoroughly and transparently investigated, and anyone found responsible, whether a civilian, police officer or other security official, should face the law. He said, “Let me be clear: NUSA will not remain silent while Nigerian lives are lost and justice is delayed or denied. “We respect the sovereignty of South Africa and remain committed to constructive relations between our two nations. However, friendship and diplomatic relations cannot become an excuse for silence in the face of injustice. “This is a firm warning to the South African authorities: the continued killing, intimidation, harassment and alleged abuse of Nigerians cannot continue with impunity. “The South African Government has a constitutional and moral responsibility to protect every person within its territory, including Nigerian nationals. “We therefore expect concrete action, not merely statements of sympathy. We expect investigations, accountability and justice.” Meanwhile, the Federal Government has expressed shock over the deaths and demanded justice for Fakunle and Nwankwo. In a statement, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, called on the relevant South African authorities to immediately commence thorough and transparent investigations into the circumstances surrounding the two deaths. Adeniyi said, “The Federal Government of Nigeria calls on the relevant South African authorities to immediately commence thorough and transparent investigations into the circumstances surrounding the two killings with a view to ensuring that those responsible for the murder are identified and brought to justice in accordance with the law. “Nigeria expects that this matter would be accorded the attention and urgency required,” the statement added. Daniel Ayantoye Daniel, well versed in print and multimedia journalism with about 10 years experience, is also a videographer, photographer, cinematographer, video editor, and website developer

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