Aminu Mohammed was reportedly stabbed to death by thieves, who snatch phones from their victims in Kaduna, Kaduna State.

In a message to the veteran broadcaster, released by president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Thursday, Buhari told Ibrahim, who is the Makaman Ringim, that:

“I am pained by the sudden demise of your son.

”My thoughts are with you and the family during this hour of grief.

May Allah give you the fortitude to bear the loss.”

Our correspondent reports that the deceased has been buried according to Islamic rites in Kaduna, on Thursday.

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The president said this in a televised address in Johannesburg.

“Over the past few days, our country has been deeply traumatised and troubled by acts of violence and criminality directed against foreign nationals and our own citizens,” Ramaphosa said.

“People have lost their lives, families have been traumatised … We know that at least 10 people have been killed in the violence. Two of whom were foreign nationals.”

South African police arrested more than 80 people and confirmed five deaths as riots in Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria intensified on Tuesday, spreading to surrounding townships with roving groups attacking mainly foreign-owned shops.

The latest wave of unrest in South Africa has raised fears of a recurrence of violence aimed at foreigners in 2015 in which at least seven people were killed.

Before that, some 60 people were killed in a wave of unrest around the country in 2008.

Police have yet to pinpoint what triggered the violence, which began on Sunday when protesters armed with makeshift weapons roamed the streets of Pretoria’s business district pelting shops with rocks and petrol bombs and running off with goods.

High unemployment and widespread poverty have been cited as possible triggers for the recent disturbances and attacks on immigrants, but some officials say the riots might be the work of criminal syndicates.

“We can’t rule out pure criminality of criminals using a sensitive situation where there are real grievances on issues of unemployment and foreign nationals,” police minister Bheki Cele said.

Cele confirmed five people had been killed in the three days of rioting, but did not give further details on the circumstances or on arrests.

The Premier of Gauteng province, David Makhura, said during an inspection of the damage in Alexandra that there was a “xenophobic sentiment” underlying the attacks.

Ramaphosa condemned the violence, saying in a video posted on Twitter that “attacking businesses run by foreign nationals is totally unacceptable”.

Immigration to South Africa from across the continent and from parts of southeast Asia picked up in the early 1990s, spurred by the end of apartheid rule and the economic boom that followed.

On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António  Guterres has “strongly condemned” the renewed wave of “acts of violence” against foreigners and their property in parts of South Africa.

“We strongly condemn the acts of violence that have been reported in different provinces in South Africa, including attacks against foreigners and the destruction of their property.

“He has also noted Ramaphosa’s call for strengthening accountability in line with democratic values enshrined in South Africa’s constitution.

“The Secretary General urges all political leaders to clearly and openly reject the use of violence,” he said.

But the UN Chief’s spokesman also avoided the xenophobia tag, choosing rather to describe the attacks as “acts of violence”.

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The NICASA president said this in a letter to the Consul-General, Nigerian Consulate Johannesburg, South Africa.

A copy of the letter was obtained by our reporter on Saturday in Abuja.

Okoli said that the association was tired of sending Nigerians back home in body bags due to premeditated and organised crime against them in South Africa.

“Tragedy has struck the Nigerian community again, just after 4p.m. on Friday, May 3. Mr Okechukwu Henry was stabbed to death by unknown local South African robbers.

”The late Henry, a car dealer who specialised in used cars, lived in Middleburg Mpumalanga Province.

“Earlier before his death, some two local guys had indicated interest to buy his car – a white VW polo.

”They had negotiated the price and agreed to buy; late Henry had produced all necessary documents to seal the deal when suddenly the local buyers said they wanted to test-drive the car first before paying,” he said.

According to him, Henry obliged them but insisted he would drive along with them.

”As they drove out, he suddenly realised that they were robbers as they demanded for the key of the car.

”They attacked him and stabbed him several times, they took the keys but could not manage to drive away the car.

“Their action attracted the attention of people around and they ran away with the keys without the car,” he said.

According to him, Henry was rushed to hospital, but it appeared he had died at the scene.

He said that a case of robbery and murder had been opened by the NICASA Provincial chairman in Mpumalanga.

”Your Excellency, the attack on Nigerians has reached an alarming level and demands something urgent to be done to stem this ugly tide.

”Our nationals are under attack in South Africa. We are under attack from every angle.

He called on the Nigerian Mission to urgently intervene.

“We no longer feel safe, we have become like a trophy hunted by all.

“The Nigerian Citizens Association, South Africa, is disheartened by the frequent repatriation of the remains of our dear citizens,” he said.

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The command’s Spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah told our reporter via a text message on Thursday in Abuja.

According to report, Igwetu, who was allegedly shot in the early hours of Wednesday by a police officer, was rushed to the Garki Hospital where she died.

It was also reported that the hospital allegedly refused to treat the deceased unless a police report was presented to them, an allegation which the hospital denied.

The deceased was among corps members scheduled to pass out on Thursday before she met her untimely death.

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It was reported that the killing of Mr ThankGod Okoro, 30, from Ogbaku in the Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, is the latest in what has been described as recurring pre-meditated murders of young Nigerians in South Africa.

Records show that no fewer than 117 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa since February, 2016.

Unofficial estimates put the number of Nigerians residing in South Africa at about 800,000 majority of whom are young people.

The Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Union in South Africa, Mr Habib Miller, who is based in Pretoria, confirmed the killing of Okoro in a telephone interview with our reporter in Port Harcourt on Friday

He said that Okoro was allegedly shot in the head by a South African police officer.

“The union is not happy with the latest murder of ThankGod Okoro on April 9 by a member of the South African Police Flying Squad at Hamburg, Florida West Rand in Johannesburg.

“The officer, who shot Okoro claimed that the young man attempted to stab him during a stop-and-search operation.

Miller said that the Acting President of the Nigeria Union, Mr Joshua Ogade, and the head of the union’s legal team, Mr Omoreige Ogboro, had visited the area Okoro was killed to gather information on the incident.

“Our team has gone to the Florida Police Station to ensure that due process is followed in an attempt to seek justice on the killing.

“The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has been notified of the killing of Mr Okoro,”

Miller said that the police in Florida State had commenced investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to the killing of the Nigerian.

The spokesman said, however, that the union learnt from investigators that the trigger-happy police officer had boasted few weeks before the incident that he would kill Okoro.

He pleaded with the South African authorities to wade into the matter to discourage wanton killing of Nigerians by policemen in the former apartheid enclave.

“Anyone suspected or found on the wrong side of the law should be arrested and tried at the appropriate court rather than killing Nigerians extra-judiciously,” he said.

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