The Nigerian community in South Africa yesterday described as senseless, the latest killing of two Nigerians in South Africa.
The latest deaths have increased the death toll of Nigerians in the former apartheid enclave to 122 in 30 months, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The latest victims are Messers Okechukwu Chukwumezeriri and Olushola Ayanleye.
The President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA), Mr Adetola Olubajo, said in a statement that Chukwumezeriri, 39, from Imo was shot dead on a football field on August 25 at Rietondale Park in Pretoria, while Ayanleye, 42, from Ondo State was shot dead the following day at Essellen Street, Sunnyside in Pretoria.
He said: “As the umbrella organisation of Nigerians in South Africa, our stand is that whoever that kills should face the full wrath of the law, irrespective of his or her nationality.”
Olubajo said that NUSA was currently cooperating with law enforcement agencies in South Africa to tackle the criminal elements.
“We advise that whoever has information about these killers should kindly contact the president of NUSA or the police as these senseless and trigger happy fellows should not go unpunished.”
He warned “attention seekers’’, whom he said, were using people’s lives to gain popularity and promote personal interest by feeding government officials with wrong information to desist as such would not help to resolve crisis.
“We are always firm in our belief and resolution that all criminals should be treated the same, irrespective of nationality.
“Nigerians killing Nigerians should not be viewed as different from Nigerians being killed by other nationalities.
“All cases of murder should be treated with all the contempt it deserved and play down on the divisive strategies which is currently claiming lives of our people at an alarming rate.”