A NIGERIAN cleric, Taiwo Michael Fakunle, 58, has allegedly been killed at his residence in Kensington, Johannesburg, South Africa, while six other Nigerians accused of online romance scams have been extradited from the country to the United States.
The Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA) said Fakunle, a bishop and an indigene of Iye in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was killed on Friday, September 4, 2026.
According to the association, two suspects gained access to the cleric’s residence and opened fire, reportedly discharging more than seven bullets.
NICASA President, Frank Onyekwelu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, saying the incident had left Fakunle’s family, church community, fellow Ekiti indigenes and Nigerians in South Africa devastated.
“According to the information available to NICASA, two suspects gained access to his residence and opened fire on him, reportedly discharging more than seven bullets.
“This was not merely an ordinary loss of life; it was a horrific and senseless act of violence that has robbed a family of a loved one and the Nigerian community of another precious life,” the group said.
The association said a murder case had been opened at Jeppe Police Station in Johannesburg and that investigations were ongoing.
It called on the South African Police Service and other relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding Fakunle’s death, identify those responsible and bring them before the court.
“We demand a thorough and credible investigation that will establish exactly what happened, identify all those responsible, apprehend the perpetrators and ensure that they are brought before the courts to face the full might of the law,” he said.
The group said NICASA had brought the incident to the attention of the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg.
The association also urged Nigerian diplomatic authorities to engage their South African counterparts and monitor the progress of the investigation.
NICASA appealed to Nigerians and community leaders across South Africa to remain calm and law-abiding while the investigation continues.
The reported killing comes months after Nigeria intensified efforts to protect and evacuate citizens from South Africa following a renewed wave of anti-foreigner protests and attacks in parts of the country.
The unrest was driven in part by anti-immigrant groups campaigning against undocumented migrants and demanding that foreigners leave South Africa.
Nigeria’s response intensified after the deaths of two Nigerians, Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, during the latest crisis.
The evacuation process eventually brought back more than 1,000 Nigerians from the country.
The first batch of 258 returnees arrived in Lagos in June aboard a specially chartered Air Peace flight.
Six Nigerians extradited to US
Similarly, South African authorities have extradited six Nigerian nationals accused of defrauding more than 100 women in the United States through online romance scams.
The South African Police Service said the suspects, who were arrested in the country in 2021, were allegedly members of the Black Axe organised criminal network.
The suspects were reportedly wanted by US authorities over allegations of wire fraud and money laundering.
According to the police, the six suspects allegedly defrauded their victims of more than R100 million through online romance scams.
The extradition was facilitated by the Hawks, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, in collaboration with INTERPOL South Africa.
The suspects were handed over to officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service at Cape Town International Airport.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M