President Bola Tinubu has reportedly declined to receive a special envoy sent by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, as concerns continue to grow over renewed xenophobic attacks and the reported killing of a Nigerian citizen in South Africa.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the South African delegation, led by the country’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on July 24 to deliver what was described as an important message from President Ramaphosa.
However, the delegation was reportedly not granted an audience with President Tinubu.
Diplomatic sources said Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, advised the Presidency that it was not the right time for such a meeting, citing the continued attacks on Nigerians, their businesses and properties in South Africa.
The minister was also said to have insisted that South Africa must first demonstrate concrete commitment by ratifying the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Early Warning Mechanism (EWM) signed by both countries in October 2025.
The agreement was designed to strengthen cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa in preventing violence, protecting citizens, improving communication during security incidents and addressing xenophobic attacks.
According to Nigerian officials, South Africa has yet to ratify the agreement, delaying its implementation.
The diplomatic development comes less than 24 hours after the reported death of Chika Ibe, a Nigerian who allegedly died during an encounter with members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Cape Town.
A video said to have been obtained from members of the Nigerian community in South Africa reportedly shows circumstances surrounding the incident that differ from the official account released by South African authorities.
The incident sparked protests among Nigerians living in Cape Town, with members of the community demanding justice.
A man heard speaking in Igbo in the video appealed for action.
“The police has just killed someone now. People need to come to Parksig Villa, Bellville, Cape Town. They can’t be treating us like animals and be using guns on us. We need to end it once and for all,” he said.
Meanwhile, South African authorities have announced an investigation into the incident.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) confirmed that an investigation is ongoing, while initial post-mortem findings reportedly showed that the deceased sustained multiple bruises and abrasions.
The Western Cape Police claimed that Ibe became unwell while officers attempted to arrest him during an operation in which an unlicensed firearm and suspected drugs were allegedly recovered.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, described the development as “a very unfortunate situation.”
The latest incident has further heightened concerns over the safety of Nigerians living in South Africa.
Nigeria has repeatedly condemned xenophobic attacks against its citizens, with Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Tinubu at the recent ECOWAS Heads of State Summit in Sierra Leone, calling for stronger African Union measures to combat xenophobia across the continent.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government had previously evacuated 1,490 Nigerians affected by xenophobic violence in South Africa.
