Nigeria announces the killing of two of its citizens in South Africa amid anti-immigrant backlash.

Ahmed Salem

Nigeria announced on Sunday the killing of two of its citizens in South Africa last month, amid xenophobic violence targeting people from other parts of the continent.

She added in a statement that they died on June 28, in the period leading up to an unofficial deadline set by anti-illegal immigration groups for foreigners to leave the country by the end of the month.

Abuja said that one of the men was killed by police officers in Pretoria, and the other by unknown assailants in Mpumalanga province. The South African police have not yet issued any comment.

"I am at a gas station, and there is a person who came to ask for help from my wife. I got out of the car, and my wife asked me to go back to the car. She said there was a problem. The person asked for help and my wife gave them money. He then put his hand on her chest. She then pushed his hand away and told him to leave. He did not leave and continued to harass her. He was not given any money. The person then demanded money again and my wife once again told him to leave. He left and she called the police. As she was on the phone with the police, he jumped on the hood of her car. He took her 20 dollar bill and ripped it up and threw it on the ground. She then called the police again. I got out of the car and he ran off and I chased him. I tackled him and subdued him until the police arrived."

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria 🇳🇬 (@NigeriaMFA) July 5, 2026

Anti-immigrant protests in South Africa

Anti-illegal immigrant protesters blame foreigners for rising unemployment, crime, and strain on public services.

The violence witnessed in recent demonstrations and the attacks on Africans have led countries including Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe to repatriate thousands of their citizens.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Nigerian Foreign Ministry condemned the killing of the men and warned that it would take unspecified action if such attacks continued.

South Africa urged a swift investigation into their deaths and other pending issues related to the alleged extrajudicial killings of Nigerians.

Nigeria evacuates its citizens from South Africa

In a related context, the Nigerian federal government has intensified its efforts to evacuate its citizens from South Africa.

This came after renewed anti-foreigner protests, which forced hundreds to seek refuge at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.

While another 269 people arrived in Lagos on Tuesday aboard an Air Peace evacuation flight.

This evacuation comes amid escalating anti-immigrant protests across South Africa, where demonstrators have demanded the deportation of foreigners without legal residency documents.

The Nigerian government confirms that it plans to operate more evacuation flights, while diplomatic efforts continue to ensure the safety of Nigerians residing in the country.

Authorities confirmed that the 269 evacuated individuals are part of an ongoing voluntary return program.

This brings the total number of Nigerians evacuated in recent weeks to 335, following a previous batch of 66 returnees.