By Sunday Ameh
The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clarified that no Nigerian has been killed directly by participants in the ongoing anti-foreigner protests in South Africa, despite the deaths of four Nigerians in the country in recent months.
The ministry said investigations by the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa showed that none of the deaths was directly linked to the ongoing xenophobic demonstrations.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said it was important to distinguish between deaths caused by the protests and those resulting from other circumstances.
“It is good to put on record that no Nigerian has been killed by the protesters. We have witnessed unpleasant and disturbing videos showing fellow Africans being killed by mob action in South Africa, but no Nigerian has been killed by the protesting South Africans. However, we have witnessed the death of four Nigerians,” he said.
Ebienfa explained that three of the fatalities were linked to the actions of the South African police, while the fourth victim was allegedly killed by criminal elements.
According to him, two Nigerians died during police interrogation after allegedly being subjected to severe torture while in custody. Another was reportedly brutalised by the police, released from detention, and later died in hospital.
He added that the fourth victim, identified only as “Bijo,” was shot dead in front of a shop by suspected criminals.
The ministry’s spokesman described the deaths as tragic and unacceptable but stressed that they should not be attributed to the ongoing anti-foreigner protests.
“Those deaths were not connected to the protests. One was carried out by an unknown criminal gang, while the other three had police connections that led to their deaths,” he said.
Responding to concerns over reports of looting and attacks on foreigners in South Africa, Ebienfa said the ministry’s position was based on the specific circumstances surrounding the deaths of Nigerians.
He noted that while nationals of some other countries had reportedly been killed directly by protesters during attacks on foreign-owned businesses, no Nigerian had suffered such a fate.
“What you need to understand is that we have witnessed the direct killing of nationals of some countries by protesters. But that has not been the case with Nigerians in South Africa,” he said.
Ebienfa, however, reiterated that the Federal Government remains concerned about the deaths of Nigerians linked to police actions and criminal attacks and would continue to monitor the situation closely.
He maintained that although Nigerians had suffered fatalities in South Africa, none of the deaths resulted from direct attacks by xenophobic protesters.
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