A Nigerian man, identified as Mr Chika Ibe, has allegedly died after being tortured by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), according to the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA).
NICASA confirmed the incident on Friday, July 24, alleging that it occurred on Thursday, July 23, at the Parksig Villas Complex in Belleville, Cape Town.
The association said Chika Ibe, who was from Lokpaukwu in Abia State, allegedly died after he was beaten, tortured, subjected to inhuman treatment and reportedly suffocated during a police operation.
Reacting to the incident, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, President of NICASA, described the allegations as alarming and called for a thorough investigation.
“These allegations are deeply disturbing and, if confirmed, constitute a gross violation of human rights and the rule of law,” Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, President of NICASA, said.
The incident has sparked outrage among Nigerians living in South Africa. Viral videos circulating on social media showed groups of Nigerians staging protests and demanding justice for the deceased.
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The reported death comes amid persistent concerns over the safety of Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa, where recurring xenophobic attacks and tensions have continued to affect foreign nationals.
First Daily reports that the latest development follows the killing of two Nigerian nationals in South Africa on June 28, 2026, which drew widespread condemnation and prompted the National Assembly to order an investigation into the human and economic losses suffered by Nigerians in repeated xenophobic attacks.
One of the victims, 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 outside his shop in Witbank, Mpumalanga.
Nigerian authorities also disclosed that the same Tshwane Metro Police officers accused of killing Iroegbu had earlier been linked to the alleged extrajudicial killing of another Nigerian, Nnaemeka Mathew Andrew Ekpenyong, on April 20, 2026, further deepening concerns over the safety of Nigerians living in South Africa.
As of the time of filing this report, there had been no official response from the South African Police Service regarding the allegations.
Similarly, Nigeria’s diplomatic authorities, including the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had not issued any public statement on the incident.