S’Africa silent as outrage trails killing of two Nigerians

Two Nigerian nationals, Bishop Michael Fakunle and James Nwankwo, have been killed in separate incidents in South Africa, sparking outrage among Nigerians. Fakunle was reportedly shot dead by unknown persons at his Johannesburg residence after receiving threats, while Nwankwo died following what has been described as "gruesome interrogation techniques" by South African Police Service officers.

This has heightened concerns over the safety of Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa amid recurring xenophobic attacks and allegations of police brutality. The Nigeria's ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has described the organizations behind the attacks as "racist, xenophobic and Afrophobic" and urged the South African government to protect Nigerians from their activities.

The National Assembly of Nigeria has suspended all official visits to South Africa and directed its members and officials to boycott legislative activities hosted or organized by South African authorities until further notice. However, South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, stated that the development has not affected the bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.