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Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has warned that the South African police and the country’s defense forces are behind the killing of Nigerians in the country.
He stated this in a statement condemning the spate of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in the former apartheid enclave, even as he revealed that more than 100 Nigerians had been killed in such attacks in the last four years, 30 of which he said were masterminded by the South African police and the country’s defense forces.
Among the most recent incidents was the killing of Bishop Michael Taiwo by gunmen in Johannesburg on the penultimate Friday and the killing of James Uchechukwu Nwankwo by officers from the South African Police the following day.
He described the two as the last two of eight Nigerians killed in South Africa this year alone.
“I was embarrassed and deeply shocked to hear about the murder of Bishop Michael Taiwo Fakunle by unknown parties in Johannesburg on September 4,” he said.
“After issuing a series of threats, the killer went to his house and shot him dead.
“I was equally shocked to hear about the murder of Mr James Uchechukwu Nwankwo by South African Police officers, again in Johannesburg on 5 September.
“He died as a result of what were described as ‘appalling interrogation techniques’ by South African police.
“Bishop Fakunle and Mr Nwankwo are the 7th and 8th Nigerians to be murdered in South Africa this year alone.
“No less than four of these eight people were killed by South African police officers.
“Beyond that, more than 100 Nigerian nationals have been killed in South Africa between 2022 and today, and more than 30 of them were killed by officers from the South African Police and South African Defense Force.”
Ambassador Fani-Kayode expressed concern that not a single arrest had been made despite widespread concerns.
He said: “What is most disturbing is the fact that despite our continued concern about this disturbing state of affairs, not a single person has been arrested, detained, charged or prosecuted for this heinous crime.
“This is unacceptable.
“We call on the South African Government to do more to protect our citizens and bring those who have killed or planned to kill them to justice.
“No one deserves to be targeted and killed just because they are Nigerian.
“Nigerian communities in South Africa are deeply disturbed by this development and live in fear of what may happen next.
“Similarly with the Nigerian Mission in South Africa.
“Also troubling is the fact that another deadline has been given to African nationals, including Nigerians, to leave South Africa on 30 September.
“This deadline, like the last one, was issued by a number of highly racist, xenophobic and Afrophobic South African Non-Governmental Organizations who openly threatened to target and harm our citizens if their illegal deadlines were not adhered to.”
He called on the South African Government to protect Nigerians “from the excesses of these racist organizations and their misguided members, and to implement stringent laws against them for their unlawful behavior.
“We also call on the South African Government to bring to justice those who delight in traumatizing, terrorizing, torturing and killing our citizens.
“As we work to build a stronger and deeper relationship with the South African Government, one thing is clear: if the vicious cycle of discrimination and murder against our citizens is not stopped, there will be consequences.
“Simply put, our patience is starting to wear thin.
“South Africans are not being targeted and killed in Nigeria by our citizens or security forces.
“The least the South African Government can do is retaliate against these actions, protect our citizens and address our legitimate concerns.
“May the souls of Bishop Taiwo Fakunle and Mr James Uchechukwu Nwankwor rest in peace.”
