Three Nigerians die in four days in South Africa as consulate demands investigation

The Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg has called on South African authorities to thoroughly investigate the deaths of three Nigerian nationals in separate incidents between September 18 and 21, 2026.

The Consul-General, Ambassador Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, made the call in a statement issued on Monday, September 28, amid renewed concerns over the safety of Nigerians living and working in South Africa. The three cases occurred in Bloemfontein, Pretoria and Ekurhuleni.

The Consulate identified the deceased as Kenechukwu Christopher Igwemmadu, Olaniyi Olaleye Olatunde and Christian Hillary Nnaemeka.

It called for the circumstances surrounding each death to be established and urged South African authorities to ensure that anyone found responsible is brought before the law.

The first reported death occurred on September 18 at Kenlin Court on Douglas Street in the central business district of Bloemfontein.

According to the Nigerian Consulate, Igwemmadu allegedly jumped from a building while attempting to escape what the mission described as police harassment and brutality.

The Consulate’s account represents an allegation that would require investigation by South African authorities. The circumstances surrounding the incident have not been established by a court.

Two days later, Olatunde, a Nigerian security guard, was allegedly shot at Spanata Bar and Grills in Mamelodi East, Pretoria.

The Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA), which had earlier reported the incident, said Olatunde was a 40-year-old father of two from Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State. It said he was shot on September 21 following an argument with a customer over whether a drinking glass could be taken outside the premises.

The Consulate said Olatunde sustained a gunshot wound and was taken to Mamelodi Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

According to the Consulate’s account, the alleged shooter subsequently returned to the establishment and threatened witnesses. The claim has been presented as part of the mission’s account of the incident and remains subject to investigation.

NUSA has separately called for a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into Olatunde’s death and urged the Nigerian diplomatic mission to continue engaging South African authorities.

The third case involved Nnaemeka, who died on September 21 after an encounter in Primrose, Ekurhuleni, involving South African politician and investigative content creator Xolani Khumalo and members of his Sizok’thola team, according to the Nigerian Consulate.

The mission alleged that Nnaemeka was assaulted during the encounter and later attempted to escape. It said he collapsed from his injuries and exhaustion and was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.

The allegations against Khumalo and members of his team have not been determined by a court. The Consulate itself stressed that allegations should be handled through due process and that suspects should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Nigerian mission said the three deaths had heightened concerns over the security and treatment of Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.

It also recalled the February 9 death of another Nigerian, Emeka Clement Uzor, who the Consulate said was shot during an encounter involving Khumalo’s reality television crew in Windsor East, Randburg. The mission said no arrests had been made in that case.

The latest statement comes after a separate security concern in Gauteng earlier this month, when South African police recovered the bodies of women in and around Ekurhuleni. The developments prompted the Nigerian Consulate-General to issue a safety advisory to Nigerians in affected areas, urging them to exercise caution.

South African police have said they were investigating the deaths in Ekurhuleni and had not at that stage formally established that all the cases were linked to a single perpetrator.

Okey-Uche said the Nigerian mission would continue engaging South African authorities over the cases and the protection of Nigerian nationals.

The Consulate called for investigations capable of establishing the facts surrounding each death and for any person found culpable to face the legal process.

“Nigerian and all lives matter,” the mission said, while urging Nigerians in South Africa to remain calm, law-abiding and security-conscious.

The Consulate’s statement did not establish that the three deaths were connected or that they were all motivated by xenophobia. Rather, it highlighted the cases as part of broader concerns about the safety and treatment of Nigerians in South Africa.

For the Nigerian community, the three deaths within four days have renewed calls for closer diplomatic engagement, transparent investigations and stronger protection for Nigerians living and working in the country.