As 20 killed in 2016…
The Senior Special Assistant to Nigerian President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Monday said the latest gruesome killing of Tochukwu Nnadi by the South African police was unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria.
While calling on Nigerians to avoid crimes like drug peddling, which attracts stiff penalties and sometimes death, urged them to be good ambassadors of the country. She urged the South African government to also ensure that justice prevails by carrying out investigation and bringing culprits to book.
Eyewitnesses accounted that the man (deceased), otherwise known as King Kingsley, did not resist arrest and handcuffed by the police. But one of the officers held onto his neck and squeezed until blood started gushing out.
“My heart goes out to the families of the deceased and pray God to grant the departed soul eternal rest,” Dabiri-Erewa noted in a statement signed by her media aide, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
Guardian reported that, the Secretary of the Nigeria Union in Pretoria, Adetola Olubajo, who confirmed the killing, said: “The Nigeria Union calls on the Nigerian Mission to demand results of investigations of all murder cases involving Nigerian victims from the South African government.”
According to him, the union was not happy that past murders of Nigerians in South Africa were never resolved. “It has brought to twenty (20) in 2016 alone, the number of Nigerians killed in South Africa under cruel circumstances.”
Among such victims were Ikejiaku Chinedu, Monday Okorie, Gideon Ogalaonye, Nnamdi Michael, Adeniyi Olumoko, Christian Onwukaike and the latest, Tochukwu Nnadi.
He said Nigerians were perennial victims of the xenophobia in South Africa, losing more than 4.6 million rand or N90 million during the last attacks.
