Nigerian robbed, murdered in South Africa

August 21, 2019 10:59 pm

A member of the South African police walks past a police car after it was damaged by students at Johannesburg's University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Last year students demanding free education marched on Zuma's offices in the capital Pretoria, prompting him to freeze fee increases. However last week the government announced fee hikes of up to eight percent, leading to the disruption of classes at most universities. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

Suspected hoodlums have killed Obinna Ayanele, a Nigerian living in South Africa.

Ayanele, a 46-year-old, is from Ideato north local government area of Imo state, was reportedly attacked him at his shop in Krugersdorp, Johannesburg.

In a statement on Wednesday, Adetola Olubajo, president of the Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA), said he was stabbed a number of times before he died.

Olubajo said until his death, the Nigerian was a small scale business owner.

“With deep sorrow in our hearts, the Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA) regrets to announce the gruesome murder of another Nigerian, the late Stanley Ayanele from Uruala, Ideato North LGA, Imo, aged 46,” NAN quoted the NUSA president as saying.

“Until his death, he was a small scale business owner, a stockist of petty goods. Ayanele was accosted by some criminals at his shop in Krugersdorp, Johaneeburg in the evening of Aug. 20, 2019 with the intention of robbing him of his money and wares.

“In the process he was murdered in cold blood.”

Quoting a witness, Olubajo said the attack was carried out by three unknown men who held the businessman at gun point before attacking him.

The NUSA president said the men were on the verge of carting away the wares of Ayanele when the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) was contacted.

“Two of the hoodlums were arrested while one of them escaped,” he said.

Olubajo said the suspects have been charged to court.

The murder of Ayanele is coming eight days after a meeting of the heads of Nigeria’s two missions in South Africa and Bheki Cele, the country’s police minister.