Nigeria calls for investigation into two deaths in South Africa
Nigerian authorities are calling for transparent investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the two deaths that occurred on September 4 and 5 in Johannesburg and the Cape region.
Nigeria requested immediate, thorough, and transparent investigations from South Africa on Friday, September 11, following the deaths of two of its nationals, Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle and James Uchechukwu Nwankwo, which occurred one day apart in Johannesburg and the Cape region.
According to the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle was killed on September 4 at his home in Kensington, Johannesburg. The ministry has not publicly assigned a motive for this attack, and the perpetrators were not identified in the information available as of Saturday.
James Uchechukwu Nwankwo died on September 5 after what the Nigerian ministry described as particularly brutal interrogation methods attributed to agents of the South African Police Service. The South African police had not responded to a request for comment from the Associated Press at the time of publication.
The Nigerian consulate general in Johannesburg has also called for a comprehensive investigation into Bishop Fakunle’s death and the identification of those responsible. Nigerian authorities are also demanding that the exact circumstances surrounding Nwankwo’s death be established and that any potential accountability be addressed by the South African justice system.
These actions come amid heightened tensions between Abuja and Pretoria regarding violence targeting foreigners. On September 11, the Nigerian National Assembly suspended all official visits to South Africa until further notice, as well as its participation in legislative activities organized by South African institutions, while asserting that this measure does not sever diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated on September 4 that 1,640 nationals had already been evacuated from South Africa since the operation began on June 10. The federal government funded 1,385 of these evacuations, while the remaining returns were supported by private donations.
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