Femi Falana Urges FG to Sue South Africa Over Alleged Killings of Nigerians

Femi Falana has urged the Federal Government to move beyond diplomatic protests and file a legal case against South Africa over the alleged killings and abuse of Nigerians there. His call follows the September 4 shooting death of Bishop Michael Taiwo Fakunle at his Johannesburg residence by unknown gunmen after he reportedly received threats. Less than a day later, James Uchechukwu Nwankwo reportedly died after alleged interrogation by South African Police Service officers. Falana, citing remarks from Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, says these two deaths bring the total of Nigerians allegedly killed in South Africa in 2026 to eight, four of them allegedly by South African security personnel. He also claims that more than 100 Nigerians have been killed in the country between 2022 and 2026, including over 30 allegedly by South African police and the defence force, with nobody arrested or prosecuted. Falana wants Nigeria to institute an interstate case before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, seek a declaration under Article 34(6) of the Court’s protocol to allow individuals and NGOs to sue, and set up a coordinated mechanism involving the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in Pretoria and the Federal Ministry of Justice to document abuses and monitor investigations. He previously urged Nigeria, Ghana and other African states to take South Africa to the Court in July 2026 and petitioned the African Commission in May. Will the Federal Government pursue this legal route, and how might it affect the safety and rights of Nigerians living or working in South Africa?

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/09/13/falana-asks-fg-to-sue-south-africa-over-killings-of-nigerians/