The Federal Government has condemned the killing of two Nigerians in South Africa and the death of a Nigerian trader in Côte d’Ivoire, calling on the authorities in both countries to investigate the incidents and bring those responsible to justice.
The government also expressed concern over what it described as the growing insecurity facing Nigerians living in South Africa amid renewed xenophobic and Afrophobic tensions.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the government identified one of the victims in South Africa as Emeka Charles Iroegbu, who was allegedly killed by officers of the Tshwane Metro Police on June 28, 2026, in Sunnyside, Pretoria.
According to the ministry, the same officers had earlier been linked to the alleged extrajudicial killing of another Nigerian, Nnaemeka Mathew Andrew Ekpenyong, on April 20.
The ministry said that although the identities of the four officers involved in Ekpenyong’s case were known to the South African Police Service, no arrests had been made.
The second victim, Musa Yunana Joe, popularly known as Big Joe, was reportedly shot dead in front of his shop in Witbank, Mpumalanga, on June 28 by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
The Federal Government warned against attempts to portray law-abiding Nigerians as criminals, saying such narratives could fuel further attacks on Nigerian nationals.
It urged the South African authorities to carry out a thorough investigation into the recent killings and other unresolved cases involving Nigerians and ensure that those responsible are prosecuted.
In a related development, the Federal Government has demanded an explanation from the Ivorian authorities over the death of a 24-year-old Nigerian trader, Usama Murtala, who reportedly died after spending several months in detention without trial.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, raised the issue when she summoned Côte d’Ivoire’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Kalilou Traore, to her office in Abuja.
She also demanded compensation for Murtala’s family and called for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
According to the ministry, Murtala and five other traders from Sokoto State travelled by road to Abidjan in August 2025 for business but were subsequently arrested and detained at the MACA Prison without charge or trial.
NIHOTOUR Launches Welcome Programme for Returning Nigerians
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has launched its “Welcome Home” programme at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to support Nigerians returning from South Africa.
The initiative was introduced as an immediate response to assist hundreds of Nigerians repatriated on emergency flights following the June 30, 2026, deadline issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa.
Rather than issuing a routine statement, NIHOTOUR partnered with creative agency X3M Ideas to establish a physical reception and support system for returnees at the airport.
“They said go home. We say welcome home,” NIHOTOUR Director-General, Dr Abisoye Fagade, said at the launch.
