Keypoints:
- Post-mortem findings record multiple injuries
- Nigeria demands a transparent investigation
- Police say Simon collapsed during arrest
NIGERIA has demanded a transparent investigation after 42-year-old Ibeh Chika Simon died during a police operation in Cape Town, with preliminary post-mortem findings recording multiple bruises and abrasions on his back and chest.
The case has added fresh pressure to relations between Abuja and Pretoria amid growing concern over police conduct and the treatment of African migrants in South Africa. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate, known as IPID, is expected to establish the circumstances of Simon’s death and whether the actions of any officers contributed to it.
Post-mortem records injuries
According to the BBC, Simon died on July 23, 2026, while South African police officers were attempting to arrest him during a search operation in Cape Town.
Western Cape police said officers discovered an unlicensed firearm and substances suspected to be drugs at the property. Police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut said Simon became unwell and collapsed as officers moved to place him under arrest.
Paramedics were called to the scene, but Simon was declared dead.
IPID, the independent body responsible for investigating deaths linked to police action, said preliminary post-mortem findings showed that Simon had sustained multiple bruises and abrasions to his back and chest.
The findings did not establish the medical cause of death or determine how the injuries occurred.
Nigeria demands open investigation
Nigeria’s Consul General in Johannesburg, Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, said the government was ‘deeply appalled’ by reports surrounding Simon’s death and called for an immediate and transparent investigation.
She alleged that the case reflected an ‘alarming pattern’ of unresolved deaths and misconduct involving foreign nationals in South Africa.
‘Suspects are entitled to due process in a court of law; no authority should be above it,’ Okey-Uche said.
The Nigerian mission also said another citizen, Egwabor Patrick Chuks, was shot during the same operation and remained in hospital with serious injuries.
Western Cape police said they had no record of the reported shooting, leaving the claim unresolved.
Earlier death adds pressure
Simon’s death follows that of Emeka Charles Iroegbu in Pretoria on June 28, 2026.
Nigeria alleged that police used ‘gruesome interrogation techniques’, while South African police said Iroegbu collapsed after being handcuffed. That case also remains under investigation by IPID.
The two deaths have intensified Nigerian concerns over police accountability and come amid wider tensions over anti-migrant mobilisation in South Africa.
Nigeria has also raised concerns over property and businesses abandoned by citizens who fled recent unrest.
Ghana has separately challenged Pretoria over the reported death of one of its nationals.
Two Ghanaian citizens have also petitioned the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged attacks against migrants.
South Africa has dismissed the petition as ‘opportunistic’, arguing that it does not meet the ICC’s jurisdictional requirements and that domestic institutions are capable of investigating alleged offences.
Pretoria rejects xenophobia
South Africa says it rejects xenophobia and insists that immigration enforcement must remain the responsibility of authorised state agencies.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands, while the government says people accused of intimidating foreign nationals have been arrested.
South African International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola concluded talks in Abuja on July 27, 2026, with both governments calling for reduced inflammatory rhetoric and stronger cooperation on migration, security and the protection of foreign nationals.
Attention will now turn to the final post-mortem report, witness accounts and any available video evidence.
Until IPID completes its investigation, the cause of Simon’s death and the conduct of the officers involved remain unresolved.
