A Nigerian man identified as Olatunde Olaleye has been shot dead while working at a bar in Pretoria, South Africa, the Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA) has said. According to a report by TheCable, NUSA said the 40-year-old father of two was killed on September 21 at Spanata Bar……
A Nigerian man identified as Olatunde Olaleye has been shot dead while working at a bar in Pretoria, South Africa, the Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA) has said.
According to a report by TheCable, NUSA said the 40-year-old father of two was killed on September 21 at Spanata Bar and Grills in Mamelodi, Pretoria.
The union’s President-General, Smart Nwobi, said Olaleye, an indigene of Ikere-Ekiti, was a husband and father whose death had left his family devastated.
Nwobi said the union was concerned by reports that Olaleye was allegedly shot by a South African national following an argument over whether a drinking glass should be taken outside the bar.
He added that reports indicated that the suspect later returned to the premises and allegedly threatened the bar’s management, warning that members of his crew would return.
Nwobi called for a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding Olaleye’s death and ensure that the appropriate authorities address the case.
“We cannot continue to lose Nigerians under circumstances that leave families devastated and communities traumatised,” he said.
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“We call for a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding Olaleye’s death and for the law to take its proper course.”
He urged the Nigerian Mission in South Africa, comprising the consulate-general’s office and the high commission in Pretoria, to intensify engagement with the South African authorities.
Nwobi also implored the mission to explore all available diplomatic channels to address the issue and protect Nigerians in the country.
He expressed NUSA’s solidarity with Olaleye’s wife, two children and the Nigerian community, while praying for the repose of his soul.
He reiterated the union’s call for justice in the matter.
Olaleye’s killing is the latest in a string of reported deaths of Nigerians in the former apartheid country.
Last Wednesday, Ayodele Odularu, a Nigerian lecturer at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa, was found dead at her residence in the Eastern Cape province.
Gbadebo Odularu, the deceased’s brother, said she died on August 16 aged 51.
On September 12, the ministry of foreign affairs also said two Nigerians were killed in xenophobic attacks against foreigners in the country.
In a statement, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, the ministry’s spokesperson, said both Nigerians, identified as Taiwo Fakunle and James Nwankwo, were killed in separate incidents on September 4 and 5.
