At least eight Nigerians have lost their lives in South Africa so far in 2025, underscoring a worrying trend of targeted violence and unresolved killings involving Nigerian nationals in the country.
The most recent victims, identified as Austin and Ayo, were shot dead on Thursday, July 9, by masked gunmen who stormed Austin’s office in Durban around 8 p.m.
The attackers, numbering three, were said to have gained access to the premises and opened fire without saying a word.
A friend of one of the deceased, who identified himself simply as Fidelis, told The Punch that both victims died on the spot.
According to him, “Austin runs a car business and also sells tyres in Durban. On the day of the incident, his friend Ayo came to visit him at his shop. They were standing and talking when some men wearing masks suddenly ran into the shop. The men were holding guns, and without saying a word, they shot both of them.”
Security footage of the attack, obtained by the press, reportedly shows the assailants approaching from behind before shooting the victims at close range. Ayo was shot while attempting to escape.
Earlier in the year, on April 20, two other Nigerians, Taiwo Raji and Yemi Akinwunmi, were killed in Pretoria.
Four days later, Silas Ani, a Nigerian businessman, was kidnapped in Johannesburg and remains missing.
Additionally, Julius Chukwunta was confirmed dead after a violent attack in Midrand, while two others, Benjamin Okoli and Jeremiah Okoye, died in police custody in February under unclear circumstances.
The spate of killings has sparked outrage from the Nigerian community in South Africa and at home.
The Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA) has decried the rising insecurity, with its President, Frank Onyekwelu, lamenting the lack of justice in previous cases.
“The Nigerian community had sought legal redress, but justice had not been served as the suspected killer was released on bail by a South African court,” Onyekwelu said in a statement.
In response to the Durban killings, the Federal Government said some arrests had been made.
According to Abdul-Rahman Balogun, spokesperson for the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), investigations are ongoing, but the killers have yet to be apprehended.
NiDCOM Chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, condemned the killings as “senseless, barbaric, and unacceptable,” urging the South African authorities to act swiftly.
She also criticized the failure to enforce the early warning mechanisms previously agreed upon by both countries, which were meant to forestall such incidents.
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the government has not yet concluded whether the attack was xenophobic but confirmed that South African police are investigating.
The Nigerian High Commission in South Africa is said to be monitoring the situation closely, as tensions continue to rise among Nigerians residing in the country.
