Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Nigeria has strongly condemned the killings of two of its citizens in South Africa, the latest casualties in a relentless wave of xenophobic violence that has gripped the country and sent shockwaves across the African continent. The victims have been identified as Emeka Charles Iroegbu and Musa Yunana Joe, popularly known as Big Joe, both of whom lost their lives on Sunday, 28 June 2026, under distinctly harrowing circumstances. The deaths, confirmed by the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg in a statement issued on Saturday, 4 July 2026, have pushed the total number of Nigerians murdered in South Africa since the latest wave of xenophobic attacks began this year to four.
The circumstances surrounding the two deaths have ignited particular outrage in Abuja. According to the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emeka Charles Iroegbu was killed by officers of the Tshwane Metro Police on 28 June 2026 in Sunnyside, Pretoria, during what officials have described as a "gruesome interrogation". The Nigerian consulate noted that Iroegbu was subjected to brutal torture techniques at the hands of the Metro police, which ultimately led to his death. In a statement issued in Abuja by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the government expressed alarm that the same officers were allegedly responsible for the extrajudicial killing of another Nigerian, Nnaemeka Mathew Andrew Ekpenyong, on 20 April 2026. Despite the identities of the four officers involved being known to the South African Police Service, no arrests have been made in that case.
The second victim, Musa Yunana Joe, was killed in front of his shop on the same day, 28 June 2026, in Witbank, Mpumalanga province. According to the consulate, Joe was murdered by suspected criminals. The government expressed deep concern that these killings occurred at a time when foreigners are being unduly targeted in South Africa, raising questions about deliberate attempts to generalise and tag well-meaning, hard-working Nigerians as criminals. The Nigerian government also pointed to a continuing pattern of such terrible incidents as clear evidence of complicity on the part of security operatives, especially officers of the Tshwane Metro Police, raising questions of state responsibility under international law.
The deaths have prompted a strong response from Nigeria's federal government, which has demanded urgent investigations and justice for the victims. In a statement released on Sunday, 5 July 2026, the government called on South African authorities to conduct urgent investigations into the two killings and several other pending cases of extrajudicial killings of Nigerian nationals. The government further warned that continued violence could strain bilateral relations and that "all options remain on the table" if the attacks persist. It also condemned a recent televised statement by a South African government spokesperson who asked Nigerians leaving the country because of xenophobic protests to disclose where they hid illegal drugs, describing such remarks as "derogatory, unprofessional and uncensored" and constituting hate speech that incites negative and criminal actions against Nigerians.
The tension between the two nations has been further inflamed by South Africa's rejection of Nigeria's compensation demand for properties abandoned by evacuated citizens. South African Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, stated at a press briefing on Friday, 3 July 2026, that there would be "no compensation that will come from government," adding that those who leave their properties can only dispose of them in the property market if they are legally registered. In remarks likely to escalate tensions, Ntshavheni also challenged Nigeria to provide the locations of drug dens she attributed to its nationals.
The latest deaths come amid a surge of anti-immigrant sentiment that has engulfed South Africa, with protests and violence escalating since April 2026. The arbitrary 30 June deadline announced by anti-immigrant groups for African foreigners to leave the country further intensified tensions. On Tuesday, 30 June 2026, many South Africans marched across cities to protest the presence of African migrants, chanting "Abahambe!"—meaning "They must go!" in Zulu. Foreign-owned businesses have been attacked, people have been chased from their homes, and hundreds of African foreigners have been displaced. The deaths of at least five Mozambicans and five Ethiopians have also been attributed to xenophobic violence in the country.
The Nigerian government has evacuated more than 850 Nigerians from South Africa across four batches, with the latest group arriving in Lagos on Friday, 3 July 2026, aboard an Air Peace charter flight. Several other African countries, including Ghana, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, have also repatriated hundreds of their citizens. South Africa has a long and painful history of violence sparked by anger over the presence of migrants, including in 2008, when more than 60 people were killed in what international rights groups called xenophobic attacks on foreigners.
Despite President Cyril Ramaphosa's pledge in June to crack down on groups behind xenophobic violence, the attacks have continued unabated. South African authorities have consistently rejected accusations that the country is xenophobic, describing recent incidents as isolated, but the escalating violence and mounting death toll tell a different story. As Nigeria warned, the systematic targeting of Nigerian nationals legally residing in South Africa is not acceptable, and the question remains whether diplomatic engagement or the threat of consequences will finally compel Pretoria to take decisive action to protect foreign nationals and end the cycle of bloodshed that has claimed so many African lives.
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