Union Seeks Buhari’s Intervention as Another Nigerian Killed in South Africa

The Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to intervene in last Friday’s killing of another Nigerian in South Africa.

The Publicity Secretary of the union in South Africa, Habib Salihu, made the appeal yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Pretoria, South Africa.

He said the victim, James Ekeh, 36, an indigene of Imo, was killed at Mabopane Station near Pretoria by unknown assailants.

“Since Ebuka (another victim) was killed in Rustenburg more than two months ago without any arrest or prosecution, no fewer than six Nigerians have been brutally murdered.

“These killings came without any meaningful intervention to bring the perpetrators to book irrespective of their nationality,’’ he said.

Salihu said Ekeh, a tomato trader at Mabopane market in Pretoria, was shot several times by unknown gunmen.

He said the victim was killed at the same spot where another Nigerian, Victor Onazi, was shot dead less than three weeks ago.

“Four other Nigerians were also shot dead in Johannesburg area less than two months ago.

“This means that an average of one Nigerian is gunned down every week,’’ he added.

Salihu said that rage and animosity by Nigerians toward South Africans might become uncontrollable if nothing was done to stop the killings.

The latest killing of Ekeh brings the number of Nigerians killed in the former apartheid enclave since February 2016 to 119.

No fewer than 800,000 Nigerians, mostly young people, reside in South Africa.