‘Nigerians tortured, murdered in South Africa won’t be tolerated anymore’

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has condemned the alleged torture and killing of Nigerians by South African police, warning that the alleged killings of Nigerians in South Africa would no longer be tolerated.

Fani-Kayode made the remarks in a statement shared on his official social media page on Tuesday, following what he described as a secretly recorded video showing a Nigerian national allegedly being beaten and tortured to death by South African police officers.

According to him, the footage showed the victim being suffocated with a plastic bag while screaming for help.

“I just watched a secretly recorded video of a Nigerian national being beaten to death by members of the South African Police Service in his home, and I am mortified. I listened to the young man’s screams as they put a plastic bag over his head and tortured him, and I was badly shaken,” he said.

The former minister described the alleged killings, racial profiling and persecution of Nigerians in South Africa as unacceptable, insisting that silence over the attacks could no longer continue.

“The vilification, persecution, targeting, extrajudicial killing, racial stereotyping and murder of Nigerians in South Africa are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” he stated.

Fani-Kayode said he raised the issue during a meeting with South Africa’s Foreign Minister on Monday, where both countries agreed to reduce tensions and strengthen bilateral relations.

He insisted that those responsible for the alleged killings must be brought to justice.

According to him, no fewer than 90 Nigerians have allegedly been killed in South Africa since 2022 by what he described as Afrophobic groups, mobs and security operatives, with no convictions recorded.

He further claimed that six Nigerians had been killed this year alone, including three allegedly by South African police officers.

“If our relations are to stabilise with South Africa, this has to stop. We have made much progress, and we had a productive meeting with the South Africans yesterday where we agreed to de-escalate the rhetoric and work closely together to stabilise the situation and build stronger bilateral ties.

“This is a step in the right direction and has brought us hope, but much more needs to be done. Action speaks louder than words,” he added.