South African police have dismissed reports that last month’s death of a Nigerian national while in their custody in Tshwane is connected to ongoing anti‑immigrant protests, saying the allegations are false and misleading.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the man was arrested on 28 June by the Tshwane Drugs Team for alleged drug possession and collapsed while being taken into custody.
Paramedics declared him dead at the scene and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) was immediately notified.
An inquest and a drug‑possession case have been opened, with both SAPS and IPID attending the postmortem.
Police say attempts to link the incident to xenophobic mobilisation are unfounded.
South Africa has faced rising anti‑migrant sentiment in recent months, with protests, repatriations and political tensions across the region intensifying scrutiny of how foreign nationals are treated.
Nigeria’s foreign ministry had at the weekend said Emeka Charles Iroegbu died in police custody after South African law enforcement officers allegedly used “gruesome interrogation techniques.”
The ministry also said the same officers “were allegedly responsible for the extra-judicial killing of another Nigerian, Mr Nnaemeka Mathew Andrew Ekpenyong” earlier this year.
JN/APA