Nigeria condemns killings of two nationals in South Africa and demands urgent investigation

The Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed profound shock at the killings of two Nigerian citizens in South Africa and called on Pretoria to launch immediate, thorough and transparent investigations.

In a press statement issued on Friday 11 September 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle was murdered at his residence in Kensington, Johannesburg, on 4 September. Mr James Uchechukwu Nwankwo died on 5 September after what the statement described as “gruesome interrogation techniques” by officers of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Somerset, Cape Town.

The government said the deaths occurred against a backdrop of widespread xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks on foreigners, particularly Africans. It questioned both the safety of foreigners in South Africa and the authorities’ commitment to stopping targeted violence.

“It is also extremely worrying that law enforcement agents, saddled with the responsibility of securing lives and property, are exacerbating an already fragile situation by resorting to unacceptable interrogation techniques that have frequently led to the deaths of foreigners,” the statement said.

Nigeria condemned the killings of Bishop Fakunle and Mr Nwankwo “in the strongest terms possible” and demanded that those responsible be identified and brought to justice. It expected the matter to be treated with the required urgency.

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The statement noted that Nigeria had consistently favoured constructive dialogue with South Africa to address xenophobia and Afrophobia. It expressed concern that a Memorandum of Understanding on an early-warning mechanism, already signed by Nigeria, remained unsigned by South Africa.

Nigeria has previously raised the recurring attacks before ECOWAS Heads of State and Government and the African Union Assembly. The government said it was now considering further concrete measures to secure South African co-operation.

The Federal Government extended heartfelt condolences to the families of Bishop Fakunle and Mr Nwankwo and prayed for the repose of their souls. It also offered prayers that their families, friends and the wider Nigerian community in South Africa would find the strength to bear their loss.

The statement was signed by Oluwafemi Adeniyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.

By John James