(The Nigerian Consulate. Photo by Punch News)
The Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg has condemned the deaths of three Nigerians in separate incidents across South Africa between September 18 and 21, 2026.
Consul-General Ninikanwa Okey-Uche shared the details in a statement on Monday and said the killings raise fresh worries about the safety of Nigerians and other foreigners in the country.
The victims are Kenechukwu Christopher Igwemmadu, Olaniyi Olaleye Olatunde and Christian Hillary Nnaemeka.
Igwemmadu allegedly jumped to his death on September 18 while trying to run from police harassment and brutality in Bloemfontein.
Two days later, Olatunde, a security guard at a nightclub in Mamelodi East, Pretoria, was shot in the lower body after he tried to stop a customer from leaving with a club cup.
The shooter ran off, then came back and threatened to kill any witness who reported him. Olatunde died in hospital on the morning of September 21.
Nnaemeka was allegedly beaten and tortured on September 21 in Primrose, Ekurhuleni, by South African politician and content creator Xolani Khumalo and his team during one of their operations.
The Consulate said the team arrested him even though they found nothing against him.
He tried to escape by jumping over a fence, collapsed from his injuries and was declared dead on arrival at hospital.
The Consulate also recalled that another Nigerian, Emeka Clement Uzor, was shot dead by Khumalo’s crew in Randburg on February 9, 2026.
It said nobody has been arrested and Khumalo is now running to become Mayor of Ekurhuleni.
The Consulate said the deaths point to what looks like a pattern of targeting Nigerians.
It urged South African authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible, and stressed that no one should take the law into their own hands, whatever the allegation.
It also asked Nigerians in South Africa to stay calm, obey the law and stay alert.
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, said the latest deaths bring the number of Nigerians killed there in 2026 to 12, and 112 since 2022, with 32 of them killed by South African security forces.
He claimed nobody has been convicted for any of these crimes and called on South Africa to bring the killers to justice and protect Nigerians.
