Nigeria Condemns Deaths of Two Nationals in South Africa Protests

Nigeria claimed one of the victims was killed by police following anti-migrant marches that have fueled xenophobia.

Nigeria on Sunday denounced the deaths of two of its nationals in South Africa, warning that foreign nationals are being "unduly targeted" amid anti-migrant protests.

In recent weeks, South African cities and towns have seen large turnouts for the marches — some of which turned violent — demanding that migrants be sent home.

What do we know?

Nigeria's Foreign Ministry said the pair were killed on June 28.

One of the men, Emeka Charles Iroegbu, was allegedly killed by police officers in Sunnyside, Pretoria.

The ministry blamed the alleged use of "gruesome interrogation techniques" for Iroegbu's death, but offered no evidence.

The other, Musa Yunana Joe, was killed in front of his shop in the town of Witbank in Mpumalanga province by unidentified attackers.

A ministry statement said the deaths happened two days before a deadline set by protesters for foreign workers to leave the country.

Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa said: "These two killings come at a time when foreigners are being unduly targeted in South Africa."

"This raises questions about [the] deliberate attempt by some elements to wrongfully generalize and tag well-meaning, hard-working and respectable Nigerians as criminals."

The ministry called for an immediate investigation into the deaths and said it was concerned that politicians were further inflaming tensions through xenophobic remarks in local media.

South African authorities have yet to comment.

Protest movement growing

A growing wave of anti-immigrant sentiment has swept across South Africa in recent months, sparking widespread protests that blame foreigners for high unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.

On June 30 alone, over 120 marches took place nationwide, with thousands participating in major cities like Johannesburg and Durban.

The demos have sometimes turned violent — on one day, more than 900 people were arrested.

In response, Nigeria, Ghana, and Malawi have repatriated many of their citizens and summoned South African diplomats.

Foreign-born residents make up roughly 5% of South Africa's 63 million population.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery