The Federal Government has called on South African authorities to ensure the protection of Nigerians and other foreign nationals following renewed xenophobic violence that has claimed the lives of two Nigerians.

The development has triggered fear and concern within the Nigerian diaspora community, with citizens in South Africa also urging urgent intervention, insisting that their protection is both a constitutional and moral responsibility of the Nigerian government.

The Nigerian Consulate General in Johannesburg confirmed that Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew were killed in separate incidents linked to rising anti-foreigner tensions.

Consul-General Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, in a statement on Monday, said Emmanuel died from injuries allegedly sustained after being beaten by personnel of the South African National Defence Force on 20 April.

She added that Andrew was apprehended on 19 April in the Booysens area of Pretoria following an alleged altercation with members of the Tshwane Metro Police, and his body was later discovered at the Pretoria Central Mortuary.

According to her, the two separate cases involving security personnel have shocked the victims’ families, the Nigerian community, and diplomatic missions.

A formal case has since been opened with the South African Police Service, while the Nigerian mission has called on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to conduct a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation.

“We call on South African authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“No matter the allegations, there are lawful processes. Everyone should be presumed innocent and granted a fair hearing in a court of law. No one should take the law into their hands,” she said.

The consulate further said it was engaging relevant authorities and would support the families of the deceased, while warning against growing tendencies of profiling Nigerians as criminals. Nigerians in South Africa have been urged to remain calm and law-abiding as investigations continue.

The killings come amid escalating xenophobic hostility, with viral videos circulating online showing threats, intimidation and attempts by groups to target foreign nationals. In one incident, a Nigerian trader was confronted during an anti-immigrant protest and ordered to leave South Africa with his family.

In another development, an Ethiopian national was shot dead in what appeared to be a targeted killing in downtown Johannesburg. CCTV footage showed the victim being approached and shot at close range at a busy intersection, with no immediate provocation, raising further concerns about the safety of foreign nationals. Authorities say investigations are ongoing and no arrests have been made.

The South African Police Service has condemned the attacks and intimidation of foreigners, describing them as unlawful and contrary to the country’s constitutional values of dignity, equality and human rights.

The Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA) has also expressed concern over what it described as rising hostility, harassment and alleged police brutality against Nigerians and other Africans. Its president, Frank Onyekwelu, called for urgent diplomatic intervention.

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, and the National Assembly to act swiftly, while urging stronger diplomatic engagement and accountability for erring security officers.

Onyekwelu stressed that Nigerians in South Africa are law-abiding and economically contributing members of society, adding that collective criminalisation must stop.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has also issued safety advisories, warning citizens to remain vigilant amid escalating protests in parts of South Africa, including Durban, Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal, where incidents of looting, property damage and violence have been reported.

Despite the tensions, Nigeria’s Acting Ambassador to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, said the situation was under control and not a coordinated attack on Nigerians, describing it as isolated incidents of tension.

Meanwhile, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged foreign nationals to respect the country’s laws and traditions, while reaffirming commitment to human rights and the rule of law.

The Federal Government of Nigeria, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, formally called on South Africa to protect the lives and property of Nigerians and other foreign nationals.

It noted that Nigeria and South Africa share long-standing historical ties and continue to cooperate across trade, defence, education and multilateral platforms such as the African Union and the United Nations.

Nigeria also used the occasion of South Africa’s Freedom Day to reaffirm its commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and promoting peace, stability and development across the African continent.