South African police are firmly denying any connection between the recent death of a Nigerian man in police custody and the ongoing surge of anti-migrant violence that has swept the country.
Authorities announced Tuesday that the man died late last month after collapsing while being taken into custody at a Pretoria police station — not as a result of any protest-related violence. He had been arrested on drug possession charges following an intelligence-led operation at his apartment, where drugs were reportedly found at the scene.
Nigeria’s foreign ministry raised alarms on Sunday, alleging the man had died during a police interrogation just two days before nationwide demonstrations against undocumented migrants took place. The ministry warned of unspecified consequences if attacks on Nigerian citizens were to continue.
South African police rejected those characterizations in a formal statement. “The South African Police Service strongly rejects attempts to link this incident to anti-illegal immigrant protests,” a police spokesperson said.
The spokesperson confirmed that paramedics were called to the scene but were unable to save the man. A police oversight watchdog has since been notified and is expected to launch a formal investigation into the circumstances of his death.
South Africa’s foreign ministry has called on Nigeria to submit any evidence it has regarding the man’s death, though officials have not directly addressed the specific allegations made by their Nigerian counterparts.
The anti-migrant protests, which have been ongoing for several months, have been largely peaceful but have at times turned violent, resulting in attacks on foreign nationals and the looting of shops owned by immigrants.
Human rights organizations argue that foreigners are being unfairly blamed for long-standing domestic issues such as high crime rates and widespread unemployment.
