Tragedy has struck a Nigerian family following the killing of a 22-year-old student from Plateau State, Isaac Satlat, in South Africa.
The incident, said to have occurred in Moshongo, Attridgeville, close to Pretoria, has unsettled members of the Nigerian community, many of whom fear a resurgence of targeted attacks against foreign nationals.
The news was made public on Thursday by a Nigerian resident in South Africa, Charles Awuzie, via a Facebook post.
He revealed that Satlat, whose father is a missionary working in the country, had earlier been reported missing after he was allegedly abducted while driving his father’s car.
Awuzie stated that the student’s body was discovered two days later with several gunshot injuries.
He added that the deceased was preparing to round off his studies and was expected to graduate next month before relocating to Canada to pursue further academic goals.
The development came less than a week after another Nigerian, Emeka Uzor, was reportedly shot dead during an anti-drug operation in Gauteng, near Johannesburg, further heightening anxiety among Nigerians living in the country.
In a separate reaction shared online, another Nigerian alleged that Satlat was shot multiple times and abandoned at the scene. The source also claimed that the victim’s father was hospitalised in Nigeria after his blood pressure allegedly rose sharply on hearing about his son’s death.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from South African authorities regarding the incident.
The killing has renewed worries over the safety of Nigerians and other foreign nationals residing in South Africa, amid recurring reports of violent attacks.
