2 Nigerians Killed in South Africa

Ikechukwu Anyene, President, Nigerian Union in South Africa, has confirmed that two Nigerians were killed in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province.

This is coming after operatives of a private security firm killed Ikejiaku Chinedu, a 35 year-old Nigerian businessman, on July 26 at Mokopane town, Limpopo Province.

Anyene told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Port Harcourt in a telephone interview from Pretoria that the two men were killed on Friday, July 29, at different areas of Johannesburg.

He said that the first victim, Gideon Ogalaonye, was allegedly shot dead at 7PM while on a visit to the residence of his daughters.

He said that the second victim, Nnamdi Michael, was allegedly stabbed to death by a Zimbabwean national at Yeoville at 8PM on the same day.

Anyene said eyewitnesses said the assailant first demanded for money from Michael, which was not given and later attempted to forcefully remove his phone.

He said that the assailant stabbed the victim, adding that Nigerians at scene pursued and arrested him.

He said that the Zimbabwean has been handed over to the police and the Nigerian Union will follow the case. “The two incidents have been reported to the Nigerian mission in South Africa and the South African police,” he added.

“The Nigerian community in South Africa are not happy with the killings.  We urge the Federal government to persuade its South African counterpart to investigate and prosecute incidents of killings of Nigerians in South Africa. We are getting worried about these incessant killings and we want the culprits prosecuted,” Anyene added.

These deaths have brought the number of Nigerians killed in South Africa this year alone to 17.