2 Nigerians killed in South Africa – yet again

Barely three days after Ikejiaku Chinedu, a 35-year-old Nigerian businessman, was beaten to death in South Africa, two other Nigerians have been killed in the country. The fresh cases of death bring to 17, the total number of Nigerians killed in 2016 alone.

Lamenting over the incessant killings, Ikechukwu Anyene, president, Nigeria Union in South Africa, called for the intervention of the federal government.“The Nigerian community in South Africa is not happy with the killings,” he told NAN.

“We urge the federal government to persuade its South African counterpart to investigate and prosecute incidents of killings of Nigerians in that country. “We are getting worried about these incessant killings and we want the culprits prosecuted.” Anyene said the most recent tragic incidents occurred at different areas of Johannesburg.

He said that the first victim, Gideon Ogalaonye, an indigene of Onitsha, Anambra, was allegedly shot dead at 7 pm while on a visit to the residence of his daughters, and that the second victim, Nnamdi Michael, an indigene of Enugu state, was allegedly stabbed to death by a Zimbabwean national at Yeoville.

Anyene quoted witnesses as saying the assailant first demanded for money from Michael, which was not given and later attempted to forcefully remove his phone. He said that the assailant stabbed the victim, adding that Nigerians at scene pursued and arrested him. “The Zimbabwean has been handed over to the police and we will follow the case,” he said.

“The two incidents have been reported to the Nigerian mission in South Africa and the South African police.”