As Nigerians mourn Mrs Obianuju Ndubuisi-Chukwu, a Nigerian insurance chief, who was murdered in South Africa. Ndubisi-Chukwu was the Deputy Director-General of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria and was killed on June 13 in her hotel room.
However, the country has again recorded the ruthless assassination of a teenager, Chinonso Dennis Obiaju, 17, a Nigerian still in high school. He was shot dead in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Mr Adetola Olubajo, who confirmed the killing to the News Agency of Nigeria, said that the deceased lived in Roodeprt, Johannesburg with his guardian.
Olubajo said that his guardian, Mr Mike Nsofor, disclosed that he was shot about 6.30pm.
“He went to buy an item from a shop with his friend and someone chased and opened fire on them, killing him,’’ he quoted the guardian.
He added that the family would be burying him in South Africa, noting that the union’s leaders in Johannesburg would be contacting him on the developments.
Olubajo said they were going to the Police today to finalise on the registry and provision of his papers.
“He was born here I learnt and the mother is in the U.S. I have spoken to Mike Nsofor to pass the Nigerian community’s condolences and call for justice to be served in this case as anybody who hunts down a young schoolboy couldn’t have any justifiable reasons,’’ Olubajo said.
He implored the Federal Government to urgently protect Nigerians in the Diaspora.
At least no fewer than 200 Nigerians have been killed in xenophobic attacks between 2016 and this year. According to unofficial sources, up to 800,000 Nigerians, mostly young people reside in South Africa.