The Federal Government has condemned the recent killings of two Nigerian nationals in South Africa and said it is considering further concrete measures to secure the cooperation of the South African authorities in tackling recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks.
The government also expressed concern over South Africa’s failure to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Establishment of an Early Warning Mechanism, which emerged from constructive dialogue between both countries and has already been signed by Nigeria.
In a statement signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mr Oluwafemi Adeniyi, in Abuja on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, the government said Nigeria had consistently pursued dialogue with South Africa to address the persistent threats posed by xenophobia and Afrophobia against foreigners.
The ministry said the latest development followed the reported killings of two Nigerians — Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle, who was murdered at his residence in Kensington, Johannesburg, on Sept. 4, 2026, and Mr James Uchechukwu Nwankwo, who died after what Nigeria described as “gruesome interrogation techniques” allegedly employed by officers of the South African Police Service in Sommerset, Cape Town, on Sept. 5.
Nigeria described the deaths as deeply disturbing, particularly at a time when foreigners, especially Africans, were grappling with the devastating impact of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa.
It said the incidents had raised fresh questions about the safety of foreigners in the country and the commitment of South African authorities to curbing targeted attacks against them.
The government was also concerned that law enforcement agents saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property could allegedly worsen the situation by resorting to unacceptable interrogation methods that had frequently resulted in the deaths of foreigners.
“Nigeria views these incidents with grave concern and condemns the killings of Bishop Fakunle and Mr Nwankwo in the strongest terms possible,” the statement said.
It called on the relevant South African authorities to immediately commence thorough, transparent and expeditious investigations into the circumstances surrounding the two deaths.
According to the government, those responsible must be identified and brought to justice in accordance with the law, stressing that the cases should be accorded the attention and urgency they deserved.
The ministry said Nigeria valued constructive dialogue as a means of resolving differences and had consistently adopted the approach in its engagement with South Africa to address the irritants of xenophobia and Afrophobia.
It, however, described as concerning the fact that the MoU on the Establishment of an Early Warning Mechanism, which resulted from the bilateral dialogue, was yet to be signed by South Africa despite Nigeria having duly signed it.
The government recalled that Nigeria had formally brought the recurring waves of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa before the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS and the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
“As a follow-up to these diplomatic steps, the Government of Nigeria is actively considering other concrete measures to secure the cooperation of the South African authorities on this matter,” it said.
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Meanwhile, the Federal Government extended its condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the peaceful repose of the souls of Fakunle and Nwankwo.
It also prayed that their families, friends and the wider Nigerian community in South Africa would find the strength and fortitude to bear the painful loss at a difficult moment of grief.
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