‘Our Patience Is Wearing Thin’ – Fani-Kayode Warns South Africa Over Killing Of Nigerians

Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has warned that Nigeria’s patience is running thin over the continued killing of Nigerians in the country.

CityNews reports that Fani-Kayode made the warning while demanding justice for two Nigerians, Bishop Michael Taiwo Fakunle and James Uchechukwu Nwankwo, who died in separate incidents in Johannesburg.

Fakunle was reportedly shot dead at his residence in Kensington, Johannesburg, on September 4, while Nwankwo died the following day in an incident involving officers of the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa said Fakunle was shot several times after two suspects allegedly gained access to his home.

Reacting to the development, Fani-Kayode said he was ‘mortified and deeply shocked’ by the bishop’s death, alleging that Fakunle had received threats before his attackers went to his residence.

“I am equally shocked to hear about the murder of Mr. James Uchechukwu Nwankwo by officers of the South African Police Service again in Johannesburg on September 5th,” he said.

“He died as a consequence of what has been described as ‘gruesome interrogation techniques’ by the South African police,” he added.

The former Minister of Aviation said Fakunle and Nwankwo were the seventh and eighth Nigerians killed in South Africa this year.

According to him, four of the eight Nigerians were allegedly killed by South African police officers.

Fani-Kayode further claimed that more than 100 Nigerians had been killed in South Africa between 2022 and September 2026, with over 30 allegedly killed by personnel of the SAPS and the South African Defence Force.

He expressed concern over what he described as the failure of the South African authorities to prosecute those responsible for the killings.

“What is most disturbing is the fact that in spite of our constant expressions of concern about this disturbing state of affairs not one person has been arrested, detained, prosecuted or brought to justice for ANY of these heinous crimes,” he said.

“This is unacceptable.”

Fani-Kayode called on the South African Government to do more to protect Nigerians living in the country and ensure that those behind the killings are brought to justice.

“We call on the South African Government to do far more to protect our nationals and to bring those that have killed or are planning to kill them to justice,” he said.

“No-one deserves to be targetted and murdered simply because they are Nigerian.”

The ambassador-designate also accused some South African non-governmental organizations of being “brazenly racist, xenophobic and Afrophobic”.

He alleged that some of the groups had threatened African nationals who failed to comply with their demands and urged the South African Government to protect Nigerians from such organizations.

Fani-Kayode called for the full force of the law to be applied against those involved in what he described as “lawless behaviour”.

He also demanded the prosecution of those responsible for “traumatizing, terrorizing, torturing and killing” Nigerians in South Africa.

“Whilst we seek to establish stronger and deeper ties with the South African Government one thing remains clear,” he said.

“If this vicious cycle of discrimination against and killing of our nationals do not stop there will be consequences. Simply put our patience is wearing thin,” he stated.

Fani-Kayode also said Nigeria had not responded to South Africans living in Nigeria with similar attacks, arguing that the South African Government should reciprocate by protecting Nigerians and addressing their concerns.

“South Africans are not targetted and killed in Nigeria by our people or our security forces. The least the South African Government can do is to reciprocate this gesture, protect our nationals and address our legitimate concerns,” he said.