SA Police Deny Killing Nigerian National in Custody

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A 28-year-old Nigerian national, Emeka Charles Iroegbu, died on June 28, 2026, shortly after he was arrested by the SAPS Tshwane Drugs team for alleged possession of drugs in Pretoria.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has rejected claims circulating on social media that its members killed Iroegbu while he was in custody, describing the reports as “misleading information”.

Nigerian authorities identified Iroegbu as the man who died on June 28. Nigerian Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa issued a statement on July 5, condemning the alleged killing. “The government of Nigeria strongly condemns the recent killing of two Nigerian nationals in South Africa. One victim, Emeka Charles Iroegbu, was reportedly killed by Tshwane Metro Police officers on 28 June 2026 in Sunnyside, Pretoria, using gruesome interrogation techniques,” Ebienfa said.

The SAPS disputed the allegations, saying Iroegbu collapsed while officers were taking him into custody. “During the arrest, the suspect was handcuffed, and while being taken into custody, he collapsed. Members immediately called for medical assistance. Paramedics attended the scene and declared him dead,” the SAPS said.

The death occurred during the arrest of Iroegbu, who was allegedly in possession of drugs. The SAPS said authorities opened an inquest case and a case of possession of drugs. Police also booked the drugs allegedly found at the scene into the SAPS 13 store as evidence.

SAPS detectives and an Ipid investigator attended the postmortem examination. It was decided that the case would be investigated by the police pending the postmortem results.

The SAPS denied claims linking the incident to anti-illegal immigration protests. “SAPS strongly rejects attempts to link this incident to anti-illegal immigrant protests. Such claims are baseless and an attempt to mislead the public,” the statement said.

As tensions rise between Nigeria and South Africa over the alleged killing, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the long-standing issues between the two countries on issues of immigration and xenophobia.

South Africa has in recent years experienced waves of xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians.