The Nigerian government has pointed out the involvement of South Africa’s law enforcement in the deaths of three Nigerians amidst the anti-immigrant protests in the Southern African country
Nigeria promises to take action against the South African police for the murder of its citizens
- The Nigerian government has accused South African police of criminal liability in the deaths of three Nigerians during anti-immigrant protests.
- Nigeria claims that officers from Tshwane Metro Police killed a Nigerian using brutal interrogation and suspects them of other extra-judicial killings.
- The Nigerian foreign ministry states these actions meet grounds for state liability under international law and threatens to mobilize international measures.
- Diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa are tense, with mass evacuations of Nigerians and calls to nationalize or boycott South African businesses.
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The Nigerian government asserted that the South African police bear criminal liability in this fatal incident, warning that it will mobilize regional and international measures to ensure that those responsible for violence against foreign nationals are held accountable
As seen on Bloomberg, Nigeria accused South African police, especially officers from the Tshwane Metro Police, of murdering a Nigerian on June 28 in Pretoria “using gruesome interrogation techniques,” according to an emailed statement from the Nigerian foreign ministry on Sunday
The officer in question is also suspected of “extra-judicial killing” of another Nigerian, the statement said, while a third Nigerian was killed under very suspicious circumstances
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According to the ministry, data compiled by its diplomatic missions in South Africa “lays the grounds for criminal liability” on the part of the South African government and police, and these killings implicate state liability under international law
This response is in contrast to how the Nigerian police had reacted to xenophobic attacks on Nigerians earlier in July, when it was calling for calm amongst its citizens
“We recognise the pain and anger caused by recent attacks on Nigerians abroad,” Aliyu Giwa, a senior police spokesperson, said in a post on X at the time
“As an institution dedicated to protecting Nigerian lives, we understand these concerns deeply. However, this is a time for calm and restraint,” he said, also revealing that violence would not protect Nigerians abroad and “would only create additional crises.”
Diplomatic relations between South Africa, Nigeria, and other African nations have been severely strained by recent anti-immigrant demonstrations demanding the expulsion of undocumented migrants
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Consequently, hundreds of Nigerian nationals have been evacuated, while several Nigerian politicians have called upon the government to consider nationalizing South African enterprises operating within the country as a punitive response to the violence against its citizens
This is hardly the first time the Nigerian government is threatening action against South Africa for what it considers unjust treatment of its citizens
Concerning xenophobia, South Africa says it has nothing to hideGoogle
A couple of months back, as the anti-immigration protest in South Africa heated up, the Senate in Nigeria recommended the suspension of South African businesses currently operating in the West African country
A few weeks back, Allen Onyema, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline, called for a response to xenophobic actions in South Africa
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He expressed the same sentiment as the Senate did, suggesting that Nigerians boycott South African businesses and halt investments in South African-based companies in response to the movement currently targeting African migrants in South Africa
