‘Nigerians tortured, murdered in South Africa won’t be tolerated anymore’ — Fani-Kayode
Former Aviation Minister Condemns Alleged Police Violence Against Nigerians in South Africa
Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, has criticized the alleged torture and killing of Nigerians by South African police, stating that such acts will no longer be tolerated. His remarks follow the release of a video purportedly depicting the brutal treatment of a Nigerian national by South African law enforcement officers.
In a statement shared on his social media platforms Tuesday, Fani-Kayode described the footage as disturbing, claiming it shows a victim being suffocated with a plastic bag while pleading for assistance. He expressed deep distress after watching the video, saying, “I am mortified. I listened to the young man’s screams as they put a plastic bag over his head and tortured him, and I was badly shaken.”
The former minister characterized the alleged violence, along with racial profiling and persecution of Nigerians in South Africa, as intolerable. He emphasized the need for action, stating that silence over these incidents can no longer be an option. “The vilification, persecution, targeting, extrajudicial killing, racial stereotyping and murder of Nigerians in South Africa are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” he said.
Fani-Kayode raised these concerns during a meeting with South Africa’s Foreign Minister on Monday, where both nations agreed to enhance diplomatic relations and ease tensions. He urged for accountability, demanding that those responsible for the alleged acts of violence be brought to justice.
He reported that since 2022, around 90 Nigerians are believed to have been killed in South Africa by groups he described as Afrophobic, including law enforcement, with no convictions recorded for these cases. Additionally, he claimed that six Nigerians have died this year alone, three of whom were allegedly killed by South African police.
Fani-Kayode highlighted the importance of addressing these issues for the improvement of relations between Nigeria and South Africa. He noted, “If our relations are to stabilize with South Africa, this has to stop. We have made much progress, and we had a productive meeting with the South Africans yesterday where we agreed to de-escalate the rhetoric and work closely together to stabilize the situation and build stronger bilateral ties. This is a step in the right direction and has brought us hope, but much more needs to be done. Action speaks louder than words.”
