A 40-year-old Nigerian, Olatunde Olaleye, is reported to have been shot dead in Pretoria, South Africa, on September 21. The Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA) says Olaleye, from Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State, was working at Spanata Bar and Grills in Mamelodi when he was killed.
NUSA President-General Smart Nwobi says Olaleye was a husband and father of two, and that his death has left his family devastated. The union is concerned by reports that Olaleye was allegedly shot by a South African national after an argument at the bar, involving whether a drinking glass should be taken outside. Nwobi also reports allegations that the suspect returned to the premises to threaten the bar’s management and said members of his crew would come back.
Across the reports, NUSA calls for a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation and says Nigerian diplomatic representatives in South Africa should intensify engagement with local authorities. One outlet also places the killing within a wider pattern of reported deaths involving Nigerians in South Africa, including other cases mentioned as occurring earlier in September and August.