The Federal Government has disclosed that three of the four Nigerians who recently died in South Africa lost their lives following encounters with South African police, while the fourth was allegedly killed by criminal elements.
The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, made the clarification on Wednesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State. He explained that investigations conducted by the Nigerian High Commission revealed that none of the four deaths was directly linked to the ongoing xenophobic or Afrophobia protests in South Africa.
According to Ebienfa, two Nigerians died while in police custody after allegedly being subjected to brutal interrogation methods, while another was severely beaten during detention, released, and later died in hospital from injuries sustained. He added that the fourth victim, identified as “Bijo,” was reportedly shot dead by suspected criminal elements in front of a shop.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry described the deaths as tragic and unacceptable, stressing that they were separate incidents from the anti-foreigner protests that have sparked widespread concern across Africa. Ebienfa noted that while nationals of some other countries had reportedly been attacked and killed during the protests, investigations showed that no Nigerian had been directly killed by the protesters.
He said the distinction was important to avoid misinformation, explaining that although Nigerians had suffered fatal attacks in South Africa, the circumstances differed from mob violence associated with the anti-foreigner demonstrations.
Ebienfa assured that the Federal Government would continue to monitor the situation closely and engage relevant South African authorities over the deaths of Nigerians, particularly those linked to police actions, while reiterating Nigeria’s commitment to the protection and welfare of its citizens abroad.
