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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Federal Government through the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has called on South African authorities to investigate the killing of a Nigerian, Gabriel Nwankwo, in the country.
This was contained in a statement issued over the weekend by the commission’s spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
Nwankwo, a South Africa-based Nigerian, was reportedly killed on October 13, 2022, at East and West Axis Point, South Beach, Durban. He was survived by his South-African wife, Stephany Nwankwo, and four children.
The NIDCOM spokesperson said Consul General of Nigeria in Johannesburg, Andrew Idi, alongside his team had paid a condolence visit to the wife of the deceased.
Balogun added that the commission does not have jurisdiction to investigate such cases, but will allow the South African government to take up the matter.
“The embassy is to take care of Nigerians; we are to link up and coordinate with them. The ambassador himself has gone to visit and what he can do is to ensure they investigate, he cannot initiate an investigation. It’s not his country.
“Investigation will resume but we are not the ones to do the investigation, we will only urge the South African authorities to do the necessary investigation and unravel the issue.
“If you go online you will see all our previous efforts and we are not relenting on it,” he said.