Nigerians living in South Africa have staged a protest march in Johannesburg against brutality and extrajudicial killings of Nigerians in the country by the South African police.
The protest organised by the Nigerian Citizens Association In South Africa tagged “Protest march against brutality, intimidation and harassment, violent damage to business properties, robbery, assault and death of our citizen in the hands of South African police,” was held at Peter Roos Park, Empire Road Parktown JHB on Monday.
The protesters demanded justice for a Nigerian who, according to the protesters, sells drugs and the police had always collected a bribe from him and let go but the police killed him the day he told them he didn’t have money to give them as usual.
Narrating during the protest how the young Nigerian was killed, one of the protesters said, “All of us were here this morning and this particular WDI arrived. When they saw this guy, they were chasing him.
“Always, more than four to eight times any time they caught this boy, they took all his money. Every time. Today, this guy didn’t have money and he started running and he had only one ganger (narcotic) he was smoking on his hand.
“They chased him to Taxi Reck, we all went there and they grabbed this boy and handcuffed him behind and started beating him. They brought a plastic bucket and put it on his head and poured tear gas on him.
“I confronted them but they said they were doing their job. I want to know if their job is to kill somebody or to protect human beings? It is injustice and it doesn’t work like that. We are all human beings.
“South Africans are in Nigeria but nobody touches them. Nobody ever heard that anyone in Nigeria hurt a South African. Why are they harming us? We are human beings, not chicken.”
Another protester said, “Normally, if they meet you on the street, if you find them something, they would let you go and do your things. It is the job of the police, we know.
“So he (the deceased) didn’t have the money at that time because it was too early and he had not sold anything (drugs), and he told them to come back but they locked him and put the plastic on his face so he couldn’t breathe. That was how he collapsed and died because of 50 Rands.”
Also speaking on police brutality, violence and killings of Nigerians in South Africa, a Nigerian who identified himself as Alma King of Nigeria, South Africa, His Royal Majesty Eze Ndigbo, South Africa asked the South African Minister of Police what is happening in the country.
He said, “I want to ask the minister of police, Teleh, what is happening in South Africa? Minister of police, Teleh, what is happening in your country? I want to ask President Ramaphosa, what is happening in South Africa? I want to ask the government officials of South Africa what is happening in South Africa?
“Why do you people allow somebody called Tunani, a criminal to be murdering Nigerians just because he hates Nigerians?
“Almost 20 Nigerians are in coma in Clasdom and Porchestry. This man is working with the police in Clasdom and Porchestry and they are killing Nigerians.
“They will beat Nigerians – men and women until they go into a coma and die. Tunani will say if you don’t want to die, you should show them where Nigerian drug dealers are living. Yet, Tunani and some criminal police officers carry drugs and move around.”
Genocide killing of Nigerians and nationals of other African countries in South Africa has been an age-long issue in South Africa with Nigeria recording several killings of its citizens in the country yearly.
