Frank Onyewekelu, President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, has said that no fewer than 20 Nigerians have been extrajudicially killed in South Africa in the last one year.
Onyewekelu made this known in an interview with The Punch on Saturday.
“In fact, I’m working on trying to stand before the Senate or the House of Representatives to tell them about many of these sad experiences we have had,” Onyewekelu said.
“I want to make a formal report to the high commission and the consulate. If I have to be specific with you, between November last year and December this year, we have had between 15 and 20 Nigerians who have died under this similar kind of death that could have been avoided.
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“Last week, a young Nigerian man was buried in Cape Town. He was arrested by the police authorities. He died in the holding cell due to the injuries inflicted on him by the police.
“Earlier this year in May, I drove to Northern Cape, another province in South Africa, which required a six-hour drive to report a case to the commissioner of police.
“The case was about police officers who searched the house of a Nigerian and suffocated him while trying to search his house. He died in the hands of the police. There was an autopsy report and they refused to give it to us. Another Nigerian died in Johannesburg in the hands of the police. I was there at the scene of the incident and at the police station where he died. Nigerians came out en masse to protest.”
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Onyewekelu went on to say that the Nigerian government was not doing enough to address the spate of attacks on Nigerians.
“Many Nigerians have died and their bodies repatriated without their families knowing the cause of their deaths. This is why our government needs to come to our rescue. We want the Nigerian government to address this with the South African authorities,” Onyewekelu said.
While still addressing xenophobic attacks against Nigerians, the association president denied foreigners took South African citizens’ jobs.
“To be emphatically clear about this, xenophobic attacks and hatred for foreign nationals in South Africa are not only against Nigerians,” Onyewekelu said.
“There is a kind of general hate for foreign nationals whether Africans or westerners by South Africans, but Nigerians are on top of the list.
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“I may not be able to explain what led to the hatred but the allegation that Nigerians are taking up their jobs is false. Well, in terms of marriage, when love happens, love happens.
“Nigerian men are lovable and caring. They know how to take good care of women. That is the reason I think South African women prefer Nigerian men to their men.
“But when it comes to jobs, that’s not true. I can tell you that 90 per cent of Nigerian men in South Africa are self-employed. They build their companies, develop their businesses, and grow their careers.
“They also employ some of these South Africans to work with them. You can only count a few Nigerians who work for the government or industries.
“Nigerians are mostly into business; they are medical professionals, lawyers, and others. Some are students, and others are involved in carpentry and hair styling. They open their shops. Statistics have proven that the percentage of South Africans in employment is higher than the percentage of foreign nationals put together.
“But still, you will hear complaints that they are taking their jobs. This rumour has been carried by South Africans who probably are lazy or trying to put up a defence or an excuse for their loitering around and not being serious about getting something to do.”
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Onyewekelu’s interview followed the killing of Julius Chukwunta, a 37-year-old Nigerian on December 7.
Chukwunta was driving to his residence in Protea Estate, Midrand, Central Guateng, when he was attacked by four South Africans.
The Nigerian, after suffering a severe head wound from the attackers, sought help from the estate’s security office but did not get any.
Chukwunta was later placed on life support but died at the Tembisa General Hospital on December 10.
The post Leader Decries Extrajudicial, Criminal Killings of 20 Nigerians Within 12 Months in South Africa appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.