Two more Nigerians have been killed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg has announced.

The consulate, in a statement yesterday said the victims, identified as Emeka Iroegbu and Musa Joe, were both killed last Sunday, June 28 under different circumstances.

According to the consulate, Joe was killed by “suspected criminals” in Witbank city, Mpumalanga province, while security operatives murdered Mr Iroegbu in Sunnyside, Pretoria.

Iroegbu was reportedly tortured to death by officers of the Tshwane Metro Police in the suburbs of Pretoria. The Nigerian consulate noted that the victim was subjected to gruesome torture techniques at the hands of the Metro police, which led to his death.

Meanwhile, the South African government has ruled out any form of compensation for Nigerian citizens who abandoned their businesses and properties after fleeing renewed xenophobic attacks in the country.

No fewer than 859 Nigerians have been evacuated so far since the March and March group renewed protests against foreigners in South Africa.

The group set a June 30, 2026, deadline for foreigners, especially undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.

Though South African authorities have distanced themselves from the group’s actions, many blame the government for not doing enough to ensure their safety.

Nigeria had disclosed plans to demand compensation for its nationals.

The Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, said the Federal Government had begun documenting losses suffered by affected Nigerians to facilitate discussions on possible compensation.

However, South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, dismissed the proposal during a press conference on Friday, insisting the government would not compensate anyone for properties left behind.

“We’ll be interested to know where the drug dens of Nigerians are. So they can show us where they have been holding the drugs so that we can clean the drugs in South Africa quite urgently,” she said. (The Nation)

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