The Abia State Government has strongly condemned the alleged killing of an Abia indigene, Mr. Chika Ibe, by members of the South African Police Service in Cape Town, describing the incident as barbaric and demanding that those responsible be brought to justice.
In a statement issued on July 28, 2026, the Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the government received with “shock and deep sadness” reports that Ibe, a native of Lokpaukwu in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, died after he was allegedly assaulted by South African police officers during an operation on July 23, 2026.
According to the statement, disturbing videos circulating online allegedly show police officers physically assaulting Ibe, with one officer reportedly using a polyethylene bag to repeatedly suffocate him despite his desperate cries for help.
“The Abia State Government received with shock and deep sadness the news of the brutal killing of a Nigerian citizen from Abia State, Mr. Chika Ibe of Lokpaukwu Umunneochi LGA Abia, in the hands of members of the South African Police Service in Cape Town on Wednesday, July 23, 2026,” Ekeoma said.
He added that while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the operation were still ongoing, the footage depicted “a level of cruelty that is condemnable in the strongest terms.”
“In one of the videos, Mr. Ibe was heard shouting loudly ‘I’m dying,’ yet the police officers remained unperturbed until he stopped breathing,” the statement said.
The Abia Government also expressed concern over reports that another Nigerian, Mr. Egwabor Patrick Chuks, was allegedly shot and is currently receiving treatment for severe injuries, describing the incidents as part of a disturbing pattern of attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
The state aligned itself with the Federal Government’s condemnation of the incident, recalling that several Nigerians had, in recent years, been killed, assaulted or had their businesses destroyed during xenophobic attacks and targeted violence in South Africa.
“Nigerians in the diaspora deserve to live with dignity and safety, not in fear,” Ekeoma stated.
The government called on the South African authorities to urgently carry out a transparent and independent investigation into Ibe’s death and ensure those responsible are prosecuted.
“That the demands by the Federal Government of Nigeria for immediate answers from the South African government through a swift, transparent, and independent investigation into the killing be done quickly,” he said.
“That the perpetrators of this heinous act must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Anything short of justice will be a further insult to Nigeria and to the memory of this Abian and other Nigerians that had died in similar circumstances.”
The Abia Government further urged the South African government to take decisive steps to halt attacks on Nigerians and other Africans living in the country.
“That the government of South Africa should immediately bring this carnage to a halt by genuinely calling its citizens to order. These attacks are a very sad commentary on Africans who are supposed to live as brothers and sisters,” the statement added.
Governor Alex Otti, on behalf of the government and people of Abia State, also conveyed his condolences to the family of the deceased.
“His Excellency Governor Alex Otti, on behalf of the government and good people of Abia State, commiserates with the family of Mr. Ibe. We pray that God would grant them the fortitude to bear this painful loss, and the soul of the deceased, eternal repose,” Ekeoma said.
