To demand justice for Emeka Uzor, a Nigerian national who was allegedly shot dead during an anti-drug operation in Gauteng, a Johannesburg suburb, the Nigerian community in South Africa has threatened to stage a protest.
According to reports, Uzor was murdered on February 8, 2026, at approximately 3 p.m. at a Carltex garage in Windsor East, Randburg, a Johannesburg suburb.
The gunshot happened during ActionSA’s anti-drug raid, the organization stated in a statement posted on its website and viewed by our correspondent yesterday.
According to the statement, “ActionSA can confirm that a Nigerian suspect who was identified as being involved in drug trafficking was shot during an anti-drug operation yesterday, which was joined by ActionSA’s Ekurhuleni Mayoral Candidate, Cllr Xolani Khumalo,” according to The PUNCH.
Drug syndicates have terrorized our neighborhoods for far too long by using violence, intimidation, and complete disdain for the law. In order to eradicate this evil and address the violent opposition of criminals who have become complacent in their belief that they are untouchable, ActionSA will continue to support any and all legal and decisive measures. That time must and will come to an end.
The group also stated that it was authorized to use all available resources to fight crime in the area by its 10-Point Action Plan to Fix Ekurhuleni.
“ActionSA has a clear plan to reverse Ekurhuleni’s descent into lawlessness, from cleaning up the EMPD to reskilling and equipping Community Policing Forums, to deploying detection and crime-mapping technology for rapid response, to establishing specialized units to dismantle drug syndicates and gangs in key hotspots,” the statement continued.
Drug syndicates have terrorized our neighborhoods for far too long by using violence, intimidation, and complete disdain for the law. In order to eradicate this evil and address the violent opposition of criminals who have become complacent in their belief that they are untouchable, ActionSA will continue to support any and all legal and decisive measures. That time must and will come to an end.
The group also stated that it was authorized to use all available resources to fight crime in the area by its 10-Point Action Plan to Fix Ekurhuleni.
“ActionSA has a clear plan to reverse Ekurhuleni’s descent into lawlessness, from cleaning up the EMPD to reskilling and equipping Community Policing Forums, to deploying detection and crime-mapping technology for rapid response, to establishing specialized units to dismantle drug syndicates and gangs in key hotspots,” the statement continued.
Smart Nwobi, the president of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, denied allegations that Uzor was a drug dealer and charged anyone engaged in the scheme with breaking the law.
Nwobi told our correspondent yesterday that if the deceased had been genuinely involved in drug use, he should have been arrested rather than slain.
“We are now stating that the victim is not a drug dealer,” he stated. I would like to know if you arrest a drug dealer or shoot them from a distance. In order to keep people from asking questions, the story that is promoted whenever a Nigerian is killed in a negligent manner is that perhaps he is a drug dealer or a scammer. We are not going to take it easy this time, and that is the standard statement.
Nothing was done when a similar incident occurred the previous year. They continue to exploit our people because of this. The government has not responded diplomatically or made any firm declarations.
The union president further said that the same person responsible for Uzor’s murder had been connected to the disappearance of another Nigerian in the past.
“The same individual who shot Uzor is responsible for one of our brothers’ disappearances to this day. He is not a law enforcement official. He works for a security company and killed one of our brothers by electrocuting him. We haven’t located him yet,” he claimed.
He claimed that in a letter to the recently arrived Consul General, the Nigerian community threatened to stage protests if nothing was done.
The victim, who was from Nkerefi in the Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, was shot many times while seated inside his parked car, according to an official statement the union later released yesterday.
The union said that Uzor was killed after being struck by over a dozen bullets, and that stray bullets from the shooting caused damage to neighboring cars and put other bystanders in danger.
“NUSA expresses serious concern that the event happened in front of a media production crew that includes ActionSA Ekurhuleni, a mayoral candidate, and Mr. Xolani Khumalo, a former host of Sizok’thola on Moja Love. The following media comment, attributed to Mr. Khumalo, that seems to defend this horrible conduct is strongly condemned by the union. Such remarks show a severe disrespect for the sanctity of human life and are reckless, irresponsible, and extremely cruel.
The unresolved case of Mr. Silas Ani, another Nigerian national who was allegedly killed under similar circumstances and whose body was purportedly removed from the crime site by members of the same television crew, has unsettling parallels to this awful homicide. These cases reveal a trend of heinous violence against Nigerians in South Africa that is extremely concerning.
The South African government, in particular the Minister of Police and the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, were urged by the Nigerian Union South Africa to carry out a comprehensive, open, and unbiased investigation into Uzor’s murder.
In addition, it called for authorities to address what it called “recurrent violence against Nigerians living in the country” and the prosecution of all those responsible for the incident.
The union also demanded that Khumalo and his colleagues be held responsible for their remarks and deeds in connection with the incident.
The union expressed faith in South Africa’s legal system but cautioned that extrajudicial executions were unacceptable in a constitutional society.
Nwobi urged Nigerians in South Africa to maintain composure and follow the law, promising that the union was collaborating with the appropriate authorities to guarantee justice.
The union prayed for the deceased’s family and friends to have the fortitude to cope with the loss and offered their condolences.
Abdulrahman Balogun, the spokesperson for the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, stated that the Commission had not yet received an official letter regarding the event when contacted yesterday.
“I read it just on the internet. We have not been formally approached by anyone. As soon as we receive official notification, we will act,” he stated.
Community leaders have accused South African authorities and security personnel of classifying Nigerians as criminals, particularly drug traffickers and fraudsters, in a number of high-profile incidents involving Nigerians that have caused diplomatic difficulties between South Africa and Nigeria.
Two Nigerians, Austin and Ayo, were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Durban, South Africa, in July 2025, according to a previous report.
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