The Nigerian community in South Africa says at least 105 Nigerians have been killed in the country over the past seven years, following the wave of xenophobic attacks against migrants.
This is contained in a statement, signed by the community’s leaders, Smart Nwobi and Frank Onyekwelu of the Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA), and Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA), respectively.
The statement dismissed a South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) report attributed to South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), which claimed that migrants were not being killed in South Africa.
“Denying or minimising the concerns raised by migrant communities risks discouraging victims and witnesses from reporting abuses and undermines efforts toward justice, reconciliation, and social cohesion,” the statement said.
It noted that, over the years, migrants, particularly Nigerians, had been victims of fatal xenophobic incidents, including alleged extra-judicial killings, mob attacks, vigilante violence, shootings, unlawful use of force.
While acknowledging the importance of responsible public communication and the need to avoid inflammatory narratives, the community said it was equally important to unveil the painful realities experienced by Nigerians and other foreign nationals.
“According to records gathered from community reports, civil society engagements, media publications, and documented incidents within migrant communities, there have been numerous cases involving the deaths of Nigerians in South Africa under troubling and unresolved circumstances from 2019 till date. (NAN)
