The Nigerian community in South Africa has threatened to embark on a protest to demand justice for a Nigerian national, Emeka Uzor, who was reportedly shot dead during an anti-drug operation in Gauteng, a suburban region of Johannesburg.

Uzor was reportedly killed at about 3pm on February 8, 2026, at a Carltex garage in Windsor East, Randburg, a suburb of Johannesburg.

In a statement published on its website and seen by PUNCH Metro on Monday, ActionSA confirmed that the shooting occurred during its anti-drug raid.

The statement read, “ActionSA can confirm that during an anti-drug operation yesterday, joined by ActionSA’s Ekurhuleni Mayoral Candidate, Cllr Xolani Khumalo, a shooting incident occurred in which a Nigerian suspect, identified as being involved in drug trafficking, was shot.

“For too long, drug syndicates have terrorised our communities through violence, intimidation and total disregard for the law. ActionSA will continue to support every decisive and lawful measure to dismantle this scourge and confront the violent resistance of criminals who have grown comfortable believing they are untouchable. That era must and will end.”

The group added that its 10-Point Action Plan to fix Ekurhuleni empowered it to deploy all available resources to combat crime in the area.

“From cleaning up the EMPD, to establishing specialised units to dismantle drug syndicates and gangs in key hotspots, to deploying detection and crime-mapping technology for rapid response, and to reskilling and capacitating Community Policing Forums, ActionSA has a clear plan to reverse Ekurhuleni’s descent into lawlessness,” the statement added.

However, the President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Smart Nwobi, disputed claims that Uzor was a drug dealer and accused those involved in the operation of acting unlawfully.

Speaking to PUNCH Metro on Monday, Nwobi said the deceased ought to have been arrested if he was truly into drugs instead of being killed.

He said, “What we are saying now is that the victim is not a drug dealer. My question is this: do you shoot a drug dealer from a distance, or do you arrest a drug dealer? Anytime a Nigerian is killed carelessly, the narrative that is pushed is that maybe he is a fraudster or a drug dealer, so that people will not ask questions. That is the usual statement, and we are not going to take it easy this time.”

“Something similar happened last year, and nothing was done. That is why they continue to take advantage of our people. There have been no diplomatic reactions, no strong statements from the government.”

The union president further alleged that the same individual involved in Uzor’s killing had previously been linked to the disappearance of another Nigerian.

“It is the same person who shot Uzor who has made one of our brothers disappear till today. He is not a police officer. He is a security outfit personnel who electrocuted one of our brothers and took his body. Up till now, we have not found him,” he alleged.

He said the Nigerian community had written to the newly arrived Consul General and warned that protests would follow if no action was taken.

In an official statement later issued on Monday and sent to PUNCH Metro, the union said the deceased, who hailed from Nkerefi in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, was shot multiple times while seated inside his parked vehicle.

The union alleged that Uzor was killed after being hit by more than 12 bullets, adding that stray bullets from the shooting damaged nearby vehicles and endangered other civilians at the scene.

“NUSA notes with grave concern that the incident occurred in the presence of a media production team that included Mr Xolani Khumalo, a former host of Sizok’thola on Moja Love and the ActionSA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate. The union categorically condemns the subsequent media statement credited to Mr Khumalo, which appeared to justify this heinous act. Such statements are careless, irresponsible, deeply inhumane, and demonstrate a profound disregard for the sanctity of human life.

“This tragic killing bears disturbing similarities to the unresolved case of Mr Silas Ani, another Nigerian national allegedly killed under comparable circumstances, whose body was reportedly removed from the crime scene by members of the same television crew. These incidents point to a deeply troubling pattern of brutal violence against Nigerian nationals in South Africa.”

The Nigerian Union South Africa called on the South African government, particularly the Minister of Police and the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, to conduct a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into Uzor’s killing.

It also demanded that all those involved in the incident be brought to justice and that authorities address what it described as recurring violence against Nigerians living in the country.

The union further called for the accountability of Khumalo and his associates over their actions and statements relating to the incident.

While expressing confidence in South Africa’s justice system, the union warned that extrajudicial killings had no place in a constitutional democracy.

Nwobi called on Nigerians in South Africa to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring them that the union was working with relevant authorities to ensure justice.

The union extended its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, praying for strength for them to bear the loss.

When contacted on Monday, the spokesperson for the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abdulrahman Balogun, said the commission had yet to receive an official correspondence on the incident.

“I only read it online. No one has officially contacted us. We will take action once we are officially informed,” he said.

Several high-profile cases involving Nigerians have sparked diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and South Africa, with community leaders accusing South African authorities and security operatives of profiling Nigerians as criminals, especially drug traffickers and fraudsters.

PUNCH Metro reported in July 2025 that two Nigerians, identified simply as Austin and Ayo, were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Durban, South Africa.