The Federal Government of Nigeria has summoned the South African Acting High Commissioner, Kenneth Pedro, over alleged killing of a Nigerian by the South African police.
The Nigerian, Kingsley Ikeri, was said to have been suffocated to death in police custody.
Before his death, 27-year-old Ikeri was living in a small town called Vryheid in the populous KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa.
The government is not limiting its probe to Ikeri’s death.
It called for investigations into the death of some Nigerians suspected to have died as a result of extra-judicial actions.
In a statement by the spokesperson of Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Jane Adam, the Under-Secretary for Regions and International Organisations, Mrs. Ifeoma Chinwuba, was said to have expressed Nigeria’s anger at the alleged killing to the South African envoy.
Mrs. Ifeoma urged the South African authorities to bring those responsible for the despicable act to justice.
Chinwuba further informed Mr. Pedro that while the “Federal Government would not condone illegal or anti-social acts or criminalities, it behoves the South African Government to ensure that every resident accused of any offence is presumed innocent until proven guilty through the judicial process.”
It would be recalled that the FG had earlier summoned the South Africa’s then ambassador, Lulu Mnguni, over a wave of xenophobic attacks that left dozens of shops owned by Nigerians vandalised in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
