Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has warned Pretoria to stop attacks and discrimination against Nigerians, saying Nigeria’s patience is “wearing thin.”
Fani-Kayode spoke after the reported deaths of two Nigerians, Bishop Michael Taiwo Fakunle and James Uchechukwu Nwankwo, in Johannesburg.
He said he was “mortified and deeply shocked” by Fakunle’s reported murder on the 4th of September.
According to him, the bishop had received threats before unknown assailants went to his home and shot him.
Fani-Kayode also raised concern over Nwankwo’s death on the 5th of September, alleging that he died following what he described as “gruesome interrogation techniques” by officers of the South African Police Service.
He described the situation as “unacceptable” and said no Nigerian should be “targeted and murdered simply because they are Nigerian.”
The former aviation minister said the Nigerian community in South Africa was “deeply disturbed” and living in fear over the safety of its members.
Fani-Kayode also claimed that more than 30 Nigerians had been killed by South African police and defense personnel since 2022, while more than 100 Nigerians had died in the country during the period.
These figures were presented as his allegations.
He further raised concerns about an alleged 30th September deadline issued by some South African groups for African nationals, including Nigerians, to leave the country.
He described the groups as “brazenly racist, xenophobic and Afrophobic.”
Fani-Kayode urged the South African government to protect Nigerians and prosecute anyone responsible for attacks or threats.
“If this vicious cycle of discrimination against and killing of our nationals does not stop, there will be consequences,” he warned.
Nigeria has continued to press South Africa to take concrete action over recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals.
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