Nigeria says two nationals were killed in South Africa as police response is awaited
Nigeria's foreign ministry says two of its nationals were killed in separate incidents in South Africa; police confirmation of the circumstances is awaited.
Nigeria's foreign ministry says two Nigerian nationals were killed in separate incidents in Cape Town and Johannesburg earlier this month, and has called on South African authorities to investigate.
The ministry identified the men as James Uchechukwu Nwankwo and Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle. Its statement said Nwankwo died in Cape Town on 5 September after what it described as interrogation by police officers, while Fakunle was killed at his home in Kensington, Johannesburg, on 4 September.
The Nigerian government did not identify a suspect or a possible motive in Fakunle's death. Its description of the circumstances surrounding Nwankwo's death has not been independently confirmed by South African authorities.
Call for investigations
Foreign ministry spokesperson Oluwafemi Adeniyi said the incidents had raised concern about the safety of Nigerian nationals in South Africa. The ministry urged law-enforcement authorities to establish what happened and hold any responsible person to account.
Associated Press reported that South African police had not immediately responded to its request for comment. EBNewsDaily has not seen a police statement confirming the circumstances set out by Nigeria's foreign ministry.
The two deaths come amid renewed tension over anti-immigration protests and public disputes about the treatment of foreign nationals. Those broader tensions do not establish a motive in either death, and the Nigerian statement did not provide evidence linking the incidents to a coordinated campaign.
Facts remain attributed
The allegations concerning police conduct are claims made by Nigeria's foreign ministry and are not presented as findings by EBNewsDaily. The cause and circumstances of each death remain matters for South African investigators and, where applicable, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
No arrests or court proceedings connected to the two deaths were confirmed in the material reviewed for this report.