Nigeria Demands Justice After Xenophobic Deaths in South Africa

The Government of Nigeria has demanded accountability and transparent investigations from South Africa following the deaths of two citizens, Nnaemeka Matthew Ekpeyong and Kelvin Amaramiro, in April 2026. The victims were allegedly killed by the South African National Defence Force and police personnel in Pretoria and Gqeberha. In response, Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu summoned South Africa's acting High Commissioner to Abuja and activated a voluntary repatriation scheme, with at least 130 Nigerians registering for evacuation flights.

Diplomatic tensions intensified as the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives passed resolutions condemning the violence as barbaric. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the formation of a joint ad hoc committee to conduct a fact-finding visit to the South African Parliament. While Senator Adams Oshiomhole urged the government to retaliate by revoking the licenses of South African companies like MTN and MultiChoice, Senate leadership rejected economic retaliation in favor of diplomatic engagement.

Internally, former Minister Oby Ezekwesili criticized President Bola Tinubu for continuing international trips during the crisis, calling it a total absence of leadership. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other officials have condemned the violence, citing the rule of law, though Nigeria has emphasized that these statements must translate into consistent action. To prevent future crises, the two nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Early Warning to improve security intelligence sharing.