A NIGERIAN national, Mr. Chika Ibe, has allegedly been killed by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) during a police operation at the Parksig Villas Complex in Bellville, Cape Town.
News Point Nigeria reports that the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA), which disclosed the incident, strongly condemned what it described as the brutal killing of the Nigerian citizen and called for an immediate independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
According to NICASA, Mr. Ibe, who hailed from Lokpaukwu in Abia State, reportedly died on Thursday after allegedly being subjected to severe beating, torture, inhuman treatment and suffocation during the police operation.
Describing the incident as deeply disturbing, the President of NICASA, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, said the allegations, if confirmed, amount to a gross violation of human rights and the rule of law.
“These allegations are deeply disturbing and, if confirmed, constitute a gross violation of human rights and the rule of law,” Onyekwelu said.
The association urged the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and the leadership of the South African Police Service to immediately launch an independent, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the incident.
NICASA further insisted that every officer found culpable should face the full weight of the law.
“Every officer found responsible must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. There can be no justification for torture, excessive force, or the unlawful taking of human life,” the association stated.
While expressing sympathy with the family of the deceased and the Nigerian community in South Africa, NICASA appealed to Nigerians across the country to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding.
The association cautioned against any form of retaliation or unlawful conduct, urging members of the Nigerian community to allow justice to take its course through the appropriate legal channels.
“While we share the grief and outrage of the Nigerian community, we urge all Nigerians across South Africa to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding.
“We strongly discourage any form of retaliation or unlawful conduct and encourage everyone to allow justice to take its course through the appropriate legal channels,” it added.
NICASA also pledged to work closely with the Nigerian diplomatic missions in South Africa and the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that the matter is pursued vigorously until justice is served.
According to the association, it will closely monitor the investigation and continue to demand transparency, accountability and the timely prosecution of anyone found responsible for the alleged killing.
“We will closely monitor the investigation and insist on transparency, accountability, and timely prosecution of all those responsible,” NICASA said.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Nigerian government were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, did not respond to telephone calls placed to him by Daily Trust.
The latest incident comes less than a month after two Nigerian nationals were killed in South Africa amid rising anti-migrant tensions and protests, prompting official condemnation and a parliamentary investigation in Nigeria.
On June 28, 2026, Emeka Charles Iroegbu was reportedly killed by officers of the Tshwane Metro Police in Sunnyside, Pretoria, during an interrogation, while Musa Yunana Joe, popularly known as “Big Joe,” was shot dead by unidentified attackers in front of his shop in Witbank, Mpumalanga.
Nigerian authorities had also noted that the same Tshwane Metro Police officers were previously linked to the alleged extrajudicial killing of another Nigerian, Nnaemeka Mathew Andrew Ekpenyong, on April 20, 2026.
The latest allegation is expected to intensify concerns over the safety of Nigerians living in South Africa and renew calls for accountability in cases involving alleged abuse by law enforcement officers.