THE Federal Government has formally condemned the killings of two Nigerians in South Africa- Bishop Taiwo Fakunle and Mr. James Uchechukwu Nwankwo- and demanded thorough, transparent and expeditious investigations into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The government, in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, in Abuja, lamented that the killing of Fakunle at his residence in Kensington, Johannesburg, on September 4, and Nwankwo on September 5, in Sommerset, Cape Town, occurred at a time when foreigners, particularly Africans, were grappling with the devastating impacts of widespread xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in the country.
The statement said: “This raise questions about the safety of foreigners in the country and the commitment of the South African authorities to curbing targeted attacks against foreigners.
“It is extremely worrisome that law enforcement agents, saddled with the responsibility of securing lives and property, are exacerbating an already fragile situation by resorting to unacceptable interrogation techniques that have frequently led to the deaths of foreigners.
“Nigeria views these incidents with grave concern and condemns the killings of Fakunle and Nwankwo in the strongest terms possible.”
It, therefore, urged the relevant South African authorities to immediately commence thorough and transparent investigations into the circumstances surrounding the two killings, with a view to ensuring that those responsible for the murders are identified and brought to justice in accordance with the law.
“Nigeria expects that this matter would be accorded the attention and urgency required.
“Nigeria values constructive dialogue as a means of resolving differences and has consistently adopted this approach in our engagement with South Africa in an effort to address the irritants of Xenophobia and Afrophobia,” the statement added.
The government expressed concern that a proposed mechanism to assist both countries respond to emerging threats had not yet been fully implemented by South African authorities, adding that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Establishment of an Early Warning Mechanism, which emerged from Nigeria and South Africa’s dialogue, had already been signed by Nigeria, but is yet to be signed by South Africa.
The ministry recalled that Nigeria had formally placed the recurring waves of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa before the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, and a formal complaint on the development also before the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU).
It said as a follow-up to these diplomatic steps, Nigeria was actively considering other concrete measures to secure the cooperation of the South African authorities on the matter.
Meanwhile, the government has extended its condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the peaceful repose of the souls of the victims.
Recall that Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, had earlier condemned the killings, warning of possible consequences if the trend continued.
