Nigeria accuses SA of ‘apartheid-style’ policing over disputed reports of Nigerian deaths in custody

Nigeria has accused South African authorities of “complicity” in the deaths of three of its citizens in disputed circumstances, warning that should violence against immigrants continue, it would consider further action against this country.

In a statement on Sunday, 5 July, the Nigerian Foreign Ministry said two of its nationals were killed on 28 June, two days before the unofficial 30 June deadline set by anti-immigrant groups for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa.

This comes after a post by Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu on Instagram in June, in which she said that two other Nigerian citizens had died in “separate incidents involving security personnel” in April. She warned that the West African nation might retaliate against South Africa for alleged attacks on its nationals.

“We wish to place the Government of South Africa on notice that if the situation continues to persist, all options remain on the table, some of which will be activated if the uncultured and provocative trend of intolerance and apartheid-style behaviour of South Africa against foreigners is not addressed,” Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said in Sunday’s statement. Asked by Daily Maverick for details on the “options” being considered, Ebienfa declined to comment.

The deaths of the four Nigerians come on the back of a surge in anti-immigrant protests in recent months and recurring reports of violence, racism and xenophobia against migrants in South Africa. Several African nations, including Nigeria, Malawi and Uganda, are helping repatriate their citizens amid the unrest.

Ebienfa told Daily Maverick that, as of Monday, 6 July, Nigeria had repatriated 859 of its nationals, with an additional 270 expected to arrive in Nigeria on Tuesday.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has rejected links to anti-immigrant protests in at least one of the four deaths.

However, while these deaths do not appear to be related to recent anti-immigrant violence, the accusations by the Nigerian Foreign Ministry raise concerns about policing and the treatment of immigrants by South African law enforcement agencies.

Died in custody

According to the Nigerian Foreign Ministry, Nigerian citizen Emeka Charles Iroegbu was allegedly killed by Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) officers in Sunnyside, Pretoria, “using gruesome interrogation techniques” on 28 June. The ministry alleged that the same officers who killed Iroegbu were also responsible for the killing of Nnaemeka Mathew Andrew Ekpenyong, another Nigerian man, in April this year.

When contacted for comment, TMPD referred Daily Maverick to Gauteng SAPS for a response to questions about Iroegbu’s death.

In a statement on Monday, Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said the police service “strongly rejects attempts” to link Iroegbu’s death to anti-immigrant protests, saying such claims were “baseless and an attempt to mislead the public”.

FOR CONTEXT

South African police say death of Nigerian man not linked to anti-migrant violence

July 7, 2026

Muridili said that members of the SAPS Tshwane Drugs team had arrested Iroegbu at his apartment for possession of drugs, in an intelligence-driven operation on 28 June. Iroegbu then collapsed while being taken into custody at Sunnyside Police Station, she said.

“Members immediately called for medical assistance. Paramedics attended the scene and declared him dead. [The] Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) was immediately notified as the death occurred in police custody,” Muridili said. She said an inquest case had been registered as well as a case of drug possession.

“Both SAPS Detective and Ipid Investigator attended the postmortem examination and it was decided that the case will be investigated by the police pending postmortem results.”

Muridili declined to comment on the accusations by the Nigerian Foreign Ministry that Iroegbu had been tortured by TMPD officers.

In response to questions from Daily Maverick in June about the circumstances surrounding Ekpenyong’s death in April, TMPD spokesperson Colonel Isaac Mahamba said the department was “aware of this incident” and it was receiving its full attention.

“We have assigned this matter to the investigating officer and opened a docket internally. The matter is also reported to Ipid as is the norm that such cases must be reported to them for their external investigations,” Mahamba said. He said Ekpenyong had been arrested by members of TMPD’s drug unit on suspicion of drug dealing.

On Monday, Muridili provided more information to Daily Maverick on Ekpenyong’s arrest.

She confirmed that an inquest docket had been opened following the death of a suspect in Hercules, Pretoria, on 19 April.

“Members of the TMPD were conducting an operation in the Hercules area following information of a drug delivery. A suspected vehicle was identified and instructed to stop. The vehicle fled, and a pursuit ensued. The suspect was arrested when a plastic bag was found with tablets suspected to be drugs, mandrax,” she said.

According to Muridili, Ekpenyong was taken to his place of residence where more suspected mandrax was found, and a case of suspected drug possession was registered.

“While being questioned at his residence, the suspect became unresponsive. He was immediately rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. A postmortem examination has been conducted, and results are awaited. Ipid was informed, and the case is investigated by SAPS pending the postmortem report,” she said.

The Nigerian Foreign Ministry, in its statement on Sunday, also referred to another victim, Musa Yunana Joe, whom it said was killed in front of his shop in Witbank, Mpumalanga, by unidentified attackers on 28 June.

Mpumalanga SAPS spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo told Daily Maverick that a case of murder had been opened, but the motive for the killing could not be confirmed at this stage.

“The police in Witbank have opened a case of murder and are on a lookout for the suspects after a man was allegedly shot and killed on the 28th June 2026. It is reported that the victim was standing outside the hair salon in Witbank when he was accosted by an armed suspect who fired several shots at him. The suspect then jumped into a white sedan that sped off,” said Masondo.

Alleged SANDF assault

In her Instagram post in June, Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu alleged that a Nigerian man known as Emmanuel Chidiebere Amaramiro died in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, on 25 April “as a result of injuries sustained from brutal beatings by military personnel” of the SANDF.

In response to Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s comments at the time, SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini told Daily Maverick the defence force “was not involved in any death of a civilian from Nigeria”, and that no one had provided evidence of this.

However, Eastern Cape SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana confirmed to Daily Maverick on Tuesday that the SANDF was part of an operation with the SAPS that resulted in Amaramiro’s arrest and detention at Humewood Police Station on 21 April.

Dlamini did not respond to a follow-up request for comment on Tuesday.

According to Gantana, Amaramiro was arrested for the illegal possession of drugs and detained at Humewood Police Station at 2:45am on 21 April, and appeared in the Gqeberha Magistrates’ Court later that day.

“The case was remanded to 11 June 2026, and he was released on a warning to appear on that date,” said Gantana.

“It has been alleged by his girlfriend that he subsequently attended hospital after coughing up blood, following which he was discharged. The cause of the bleeding is unknown at this stage. It is further alleged that he returned to hospital on 24 April 2026, where he later passed away,” Gantana said.

The SAPS was notified of Amaramiro’s death by Livingstone Hospital on 28 April 2026, Gantana said, and an inquest docket had been opened, and an investigation by SAPS Humewood was underway.

In response to questions from Daily Maverick, SA’s Military Ombudsman Lieutenant General Vusumuzi Masondo said that his office had not received any complaint relating to this matter.

‘Clearly evidence of complicity’

The Nigerian Foreign Ministry said that the incidents raised questions over the safety of Nigerians and other immigrants in South Africa.

“The continuing pattern of such terrible incidents is clearly evidence of complicity on the part of security operatives, especially officers of the Tshwane Metro Police, which raises the question of state responsibility under international law. The recorded data collated by our missions lays the grounds for criminal liability,” said Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ebienfa.

He said the Nigerian government called on South African authorities to conduct “urgent investigations into the two killings and several other pending cases of extra-judicial killings of Nigerian nationals”.

In response to questions from Daily Maverick on Nigeria’s claims, Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said that SA reaffirmed the “historical and strategic importance” it attached to its bilateral relations with Nigeria. Phiri did not comment on the specific allegations made by the Nigerian Foreign Ministry.

“This partnership has thrived on mutual respect and structured engagements. While noting the recurring nature of the assertions emerging from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, South Africa remains confident in the structural integrity of its constitutional democracy.

“Our criminal justice system is governed by deeply entrenched, independent measures of accountability and procedural rigour, mechanisms designed to ensure that justice is administered strictly on the merits of evidence, free from external or political impulse,” he said.

According to Phiri, SA had “repeatedly” asked Nigeria’s High Commissioner to use established institutional channels to provide proof of the country’s assertions.

“We welcome the submission of any actionable information to our law enforcement authorities, which will enable a thorough, objective investigation in accordance with the rule of law,” he said.

Daily Maverick asked Ebienfa whether Nigeria had made any formal complaints or provided information to the South African government or law enforcement agencies relating to the deaths of its citizens, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Daily Maverick also sent queries to Ipid regarding Iroegbu and Ekpenyong’s deaths, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Comment will be added once received. DM

Additional reporting by Peter Fabricius.