Nigeria’s High Commissioner-Designate to South Africa, Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode, has condemned the alleged killing of a Nigerian national by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), describing the incident as disturbing and unacceptable.
Reacting in a post on Facebook, Fani-Kayode said he watched a video allegedly showing a Nigerian man being assaulted by police officers in his home in Cape Town. He said the footage left him “mortified” and reiterated that attacks on Nigerians in South Africa would no longer be tolerated.
“I just watched a secretly recorded video of a Nigerian national being beaten to death by members of the South African police force in his home and I am mortified,” he wrote, adding that the victim’s screams deeply affected him.
The envoy condemned what he described as the “vilification, persecution, targeting, extrajudicial killing, racial stereotyping and murder” of Nigerians in South Africa, insisting that Nigeria would no longer remain silent in the face of such incidents.
Fani-Kayode disclosed that he had raised the issue during a meeting with South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, where both countries agreed to de-escalate tensions and strengthen bilateral relations.
According to him, while the discussions marked progress, more concrete action is needed to ensure the safety of Nigerians living in South Africa.
He further alleged that since 2022, at least 90 Nigerians have been killed by what he described as Afrophobic groups, mobs, police officers and others, with no convictions recorded. He also claimed that six Nigerians had been killed in 2026, including three allegedly by police officers.
Referring to a recent incident in Bellville, Cape Town, Fani-Kayode alleged that another Nigerian national, identified as Chika Ibe from Abia State, was tortured to death by police officers in his home. He also claimed that another Nigerian was shot in the face with a rubber bullet while protesting the incident.
He maintained that if relations between Nigeria and South Africa are to improve, such incidents must come to an end.
Meanwhile, South African authorities have denied allegations surrounding the incident. However, a video circulating on social media, reportedly from Bellville, Cape Town, appears to show police officers restraining Chika Ibe in a manner that some witnesses allege involved strangulation and suffocation. Ibe later died following the encounter.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation, and the claims made by witnesses and public officials have not been independently verified.
— NewsunplugSA (@NewsunplugSA) July 27, 2026