Nigeria has stepped up diplomatic pressure on South Africa following the deaths of three Nigerian nationals in separate incidents between September 18 and 21, amid heightened tensions over the safety of African migrants in the country.
The Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg, Ambassador Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, says Kenechukwu Christopher Igwemmadu died on September 18 after allegedly jumping from a building at Kenlin Court in Bloemfontein while attempting to escape what the mission described as police harassment and brutality. The circumstances have yet to be independently established.
Olaniyi Olaleye Olatunde, a security guard, was shot at Spanata Bar and Grills in Mamelodi East, Pretoria, on September 20, according to the Consulate and Foreign Ministry. The account says he intervened during an argument with a South African customer over a cup belonging to the establishment. Olatunde was taken to Mamelodi Hospital and died from his injuries on September 21.
The third death involved Christian Hillary Nnaemeka, who the Consulate said died on September 21 after an alleged encounter with politician and investigative content creator Xolani Khumalo and members of his Sizok’thola team in Primrose, Ekurhuleni. The mission alleges that Nnaemeka was assaulted before attempting to escape, collapsing and later being pronounced dead at hospital. Those allegations have not been tested in court.
The Consulate has called for thorough investigations and prosecution of anyone found responsible, while stressing that suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Foreign Ministry subsequently repeated the demand for “thorough, transparent and expeditious” investigations.
The latest deaths come after a series of killings of Nigerians in South Africa this year. In September alone, Nigerian authorities had already reported the deaths of James Uchechukwu Nwankwo, who allegedly died following interrogation by South African police in Cape Town, and Taiwo Michael Fakunle, who was killed at his Johannesburg residence. Earlier in July, Nigerian authorities also reported the death of Ibeh Simon during a police operation in Cape Town.
The Khumalo-linked cases add another layer to the controversy. In February, Emeka Clement Uzor, 45, was fatally shot in Windsor East, Randburg, during an encounter involving Khumalo’s Sizok’thola production team. South African police said a preliminary investigation indicated that shots had allegedly been fired by the production team’s security personnel; no arrest had been reported at the time of the Consulate’s September statement.
Khumalo has previously faced criminal proceedings arising from his anti-drug television operations. He was charged over the 2023 death of alleged drug dealer Robert Varrie, who died after an encounter during filming. The murder, robbery and malicious-damage charges were provisionally withdrawn in April 2025 while investigations continued. In June 2026, Khumalo was separately found not guilty of assault and firearm-related charges arising from a 2025 anti-drug raid.
The larger diplomatic backdrop is increasingly tense. It was reported in September that the National Assembly suspended official visits and legislative participation in South Africa over continuing anti-migrant violence, with government officials saying 98 Nigerians had died in mob or hate-related incidents in South Africa since 2022. Officials have also linked the latest deaths to concerns about xenophobia, Afrophobia and alleged abuses by security personnel.
The Consulate has urged Nigerians in the country to remain calm, law-abiding and security-conscious while it presses South African authorities for answers.