The Federal Government has confirmed the killing of two more Nigerian citizens in South Africa, expressing concern over what it described as a disturbing rise in attacks linked to anti-migrant tensions in the country.
The victims, identified as Emeka Charles Iroegbu and Musa Yunana Joe, were reportedly killed in separate incidents on June 28.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said Iroegbu allegedly died after he was subjected to brutal interrogation by officers of the Tshwane Metro Police in Sunnyside, Pretoria.
The ministry also alleged that the same officers had earlier been implicated in the extra-judicial killing of another Nigerian, Nnaemeka Mathew Andrew Ekpenyong, whose case remains unresolved.
Ebienfa said no arrests had been made despite claims that the identities of the officers involved were known to the South African Police Service.
He disclosed that the second victim, popularly known as Big Joe, was shot dead in front of his shop in Witbank, Mpumalanga, by yet-to-be-identified assailants.
The latest incidents come months after the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg confirmed the deaths of two Nigerians following renewed xenophobic violence in South Africa. Some Nigerians who returned home had, however, maintained that the number of victims was higher than officially reported.
Reacting to the development, the Federal Government accused some South African security personnel of failing to curb the attacks and suggested possible complicity in the repeated killings of Nigerians.
Ebienfa said the recurring incidents had raised serious concerns and fuelled perceptions that Nigerians were being unfairly profiled and portrayed as criminals.
He argued that the pattern of attacks, particularly allegations involving officers of the Tshwane Metro Police, raised questions about the South African government's responsibility under international law.
According to him, records compiled by Nigerian diplomatic missions indicated grounds for criminal liability, adding that South Africa continued to grapple with high crime rates, including looting and mob violence.
He maintained that Nigerians generally obey the law in their dealings with foreign nationals and should not be used as scapegoats for the country's socio-economic challenges.
The ministry called on South African authorities to immediately investigate the latest killings alongside other unresolved cases involving Nigerian nationals and ensure those responsible were brought to justice.
Ebienfa also warned that Nigeria could consider further diplomatic measures if attacks on its citizens continued unchecked.
He added that the Federal Government sympathised with the families of the deceased and pledged to continue engaging South African authorities at the highest level until justice was served.
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