The Nigeria Union in South Africa said on Thursday that a Nigerian petty trader, Monday Okorie, was killed in Potchefstroom, North West Province of that country, on Tuesday.
File photo: Xenophobic killings in South Africa
Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, the President of the Union, who spoke on phone from Pretoria, South Africa, said that the victim was an indigene of Agwu in Enugu State.
He said that on receipt of the report, some national officers of the union travelled to the North West Province to investigate the incident.
Anyene said that initial investigation showed that some unknown assailants shot and killed Okorie.
He said that the incident had been reported to the South African Police Department and other government agencies.
According to Anyene, 20 Nigerians resident in the city were initially arrested by the police for protesting the murder and allegedly causing public violence.
He said some of the Nigerians had been released after investigations while the nine charged to court were granted free bail.
Anyene stated that the incident had been reported to the Nigerian Mission in South Africa and had been assured that there would be follow-up investigations.
“ Nigeria Union is satisfied with investigations done so far by the South African police.
“Our people and government are not happy with the way cases involving Nigerians in South Africa are being handled, vis-a-vis the high success rate of prosecution of crime in South Africa.
“ We told Nigerians resident in the province to remain law abiding and allow the police to carry out a thorough investigation of the incident,” Anyene said.
