A Nigerian father of two, Olatunde Olaleye, has been killed in a shooting incident at a bar in Mamelodi, Pretoria, South Africa.
The Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA) said Olaleye, 40, was shot dead on September 21 while working at Spanata Bar and Grills.
NUSA President-General, Smart Nwobi, said in a statement on Thursday that the deceased was from Ikere-Ekiti and was a husband and father of two children.
Nwobi said Olaleye’s death had devastated his family, while expressing concern over reports surrounding the circumstances of the shooting.
According to him, Olaleye was allegedly shot by a South African national following an argument over whether a drinking glass should be taken outside the bar.
The NUSA president-general further said reports indicated that the alleged shooter returned to the premises after the incident and threatened the bar’s management, warning that members of his crew would return.
He called on the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into the killing.
“We cannot continue to lose Nigerians under circumstances that leave families devastated and communities traumatised,” Nwobi said.
“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.”
Nwobi also appealed to the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa, comprising the Consulate-General and the High Commission in Pretoria, to intensify discussions with the South African authorities over the incident.
He urged the mission to explore all available diplomatic channels to ensure that the matter was properly addressed and that the safety of Nigerians in South Africa remained a priority.
The union expressed sympathy with Olaleye’s wife, his two children and members of the Nigerian community, while reiterating its demand for justice.
The incident is the latest reported death of a Nigerian in South Africa.
On September 17, Ayodele Odularu, a Nigerian lecturer at the University of Fort Hare, was reportedly found dead at her residence in the Eastern Cape Province. Her brother, Gbadebo Odularu, said she died on August 16 at the age of 51.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier, on September 12, disclosed the deaths of two Nigerians, Taiwo Fakunle and James Nwankwo, in separate incidents linked to xenophobic attacks against foreigners in South Africa.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, said Fakunle and Nwankwo were killed on September 4 and 5 respectively.
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