Nigeria has formally demanded that South Africa protect the lives and property of its citizens and other foreign nationals on the continent, following the deaths of two Nigerians in separate incidents linked to a fresh wave of anti-foreigner violence that has sent shockwaves through the Nigerian diaspora community in the country.
The Federal Government’s call, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, was timed to coincide with South Africa’s Freedom Day on Monday — the annual commemoration of the historic 1994 democratic elections that ended apartheid. “As brotherly countries, Nigeria wishes to use the occasion of the anniversary of Freedom Day to call on the Government of South Africa to protect the lives and property of foreigners from fellow African countries currently residing in their country,” the statement read.
The diplomatic intervention followed the confirmation by the Nigerian Consulate General in Johannesburg that Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew had been killed in separate incidents allegedly involving South African security forces. Consul-General Ninikanwa Okey-Uche disclosed that Emmanuel died from injuries he reportedly sustained after being beaten by personnel of the South African National Defence Force on April 20, while Andrew was apprehended on April 19 in the Booysens area of Pretoria following an alleged altercation with members of the Tshwane Metro Police — his body later discovered at the Pretoria Central Mortuary.
“We call on South African authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice. No matter the allegations, there are lawful processes. Everyone should be presumed innocent and granted a fair hearing in a court of law. No one should take the law into their hands,” Okey-Uche said.
A formal case has been opened with the South African Police Service, and the Nigerian mission has urged the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to conduct a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation. The consul-general added that the consulate was engaging relevant authorities and would support the victims’ families, while cautioning against the growing trend of profiling Nigerians as criminals. She also urged Nigerians in South Africa to remain calm and law-abiding as investigations proceed.
The killings have deepened alarm within a community already on edge from escalating xenophobic hostility. Multiple videos circulating online have captured scenes of threats, mob intimidation, and attempts to drive out foreign nationals. In one footage, a Nigerian trader was confronted during an anti-immigrant protest and ordered out of the country. Despite explaining that he had lived in South Africa for years and relied on his trade to feed his children, his pleas were dismissed. “From now on, we don’t want foreigners in this town. We are fixing our South Africa now,” declared one man in the video. “Take your wife and go back to your country. Take your children and go and raise them at home,” added another.
In a separate and chilling incident, an Ethiopian national was shot dead in what appeared to be a targeted killing at a busy intersection in downtown Johannesburg. CCTV footage showed the victim being approached and shot at close range with no apparent robbery or provocation, pointing to a deliberate attack. Authorities confirmed that no arrests had been made and that investigations were ongoing.
The South African Police Service moved to distance itself from the violence, condemning acts of intimidation against foreigners. “These actions are not only unlawful, but they stand in direct opposition to the values of dignity, equality, and human rights upon which our democracy is founded,” the police said.
Yet the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, NICASA, insists the situation remains alarming. Its president, Frank Onyekwelu, described a troubling normalisation of hostility against African nationals and called for urgent intervention from Nigerian and continental leaders. “We are alarmed by the increasing normalisation of hostility, manifested through inflammatory rhetoric by certain political actors, unlawful intimidation, and discriminatory enforcement practices by some law enforcement personnel. These actions not only undermine human dignity, but also threaten the long-standing bonds of African solidarity,” he said.
Onyekwelu appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, and the National Assembly to respond with urgency and strategic diplomacy. He also pushed back against the criminalisation of Nigerians in South Africa. “Nigerians in South Africa are law-abiding, economically contributing, and socially integrated members of society. The reckless stereotyping and collective criminalisation of our people must stop,” he said.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission separately issued safety advisories warning of escalating protests in Durban, Cape Town, and KwaZulu-Natal, where incidents of looting, property damage, and violence have been reported. The commission advised Nigerians to avoid confrontations, monitor developments closely, and in some cases temporarily shut down businesses to prevent losses.
Nigeria’s Acting Ambassador to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, attempted to temper anxieties, insisting that the situation had not descended into a coordinated siege. “Let me first make the point that right now, Nigerians are not under siege in South Africa. The situation is currently under control. The governments are working on it,” he said, describing the incidents as isolated tension.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his Freedom Day address, struck a cautionary tone toward foreign nationals. “To those who are here legally, respect us as South Africans, respect our laws, respect our conventions and our traditions, as you would want us to respect the laws and traditions of your own country,” he said.
Nigeria’s foreign affairs statement, while registering concern, was careful to preserve the tone of a longstanding partnership. It noted the deep historical ties between both nations rooted in the anti-apartheid struggle and spanning trade, defence, education, cultural exchange, and cooperation within the African Union and United Nations. “Nigeria remains confident that the enduring partnership between both nations will continue to contribute to peace, stability, and sustainable development across the African continent,” the statement said.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah