The Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA) has announced the death of another Nigerian in South Africa, following a vicious attack on him in his shop.

The NUSA president Collins Mgbo announced the death of Mr Nicholas John in a statement issued from South Africa on Thursday.

Mr John, an Ogun indigene, was attacked by a mob at his shop in Kimberly in South Africa’s Northern Cape on February 12.

South Africa has continued to be a graveyard for many young Nigerians. Records showed that at least 128 Nigerians had been killed since 2019.

On December 12, Olusola Solarin was killed by hoodlums, who attacked him and collected his money.

Mr Mgbo disclosed that Mr John, the latest victim, was married to a South African woman who was delivered of a baby barely three months ago.

On the circumstances that led to Mr John’s death on February 15, the NUSA president disclosed that on February 11, the Nigerian was attacked by a South African gang for buying a stolen laptop.

“He was beaten alongside his friends, who they believed were accomplices, while the South African criminal, who stole the laptop and sold it to John, was left unharmed,” he explained.

The NUSA president added that Mr John had battled to survive at an intensive care unit in Kimberley Hospital, where he died.

Mr Mgbo further explained that the deceased had bought a stolen laptop from a South African. The owner of the stolen laptop apprehended the South African who stole the laptop, and he took them to the Nigerian, who had bought the stolen laptop.

“The Nigerian who bought the laptop had apparently sold it to another Nigerian. They asked him to call the Nigerian he sold it to, and he did, but when he arrived, he told them that he didn’t have the laptop anymore but agreed to pay them for it,” added Mr Mgbo. “The owner of the laptop agreed, but the owner came with a group which wanted to rob John of his phones, but he resisted, and that was when they beat him to a comatose state and left him to die.”

According to Mr Mgbo, other Nigerians at the scene called an ambulance and took Mr John to the hospital, but they were informed by the medical doctor at the hospital that his brain was damaged and that he might not make it. 

(NAN)