PRETORIA, South Africa — The Nigerian Union in South Africa has called for diplomatic intervention after a 40-year-old Nigerian father of two was shot dead while working at a bar in Pretoria.
Olatunde Olaleye, an indigene of Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, was killed at Spanata Bar and Grills in Mamelodi on Monday, September 21, 2026, according to the union.
Smart Nwobi, president-general of the Nigerian Union South Africa, said in a statement on Thursday that reports available to the organisation indicated that Olaleye was shot by a South African national following an argument over whether a drinking glass could be taken outside the bar.
South African police have not independently confirmed the circumstances described by Nwobi.
Nwobi also said the union had received reports that the suspected gunman later returned to the premises and threatened the bar’s management, saying members of his group would return.
The union called for what Nwobi described as a “thorough, transparent and impartial investigation” into Olaleye’s death.
“We cannot continue to lose Nigerians under circumstances that leave families devastated and communities traumatised,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria said Nwobi urged Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in South Africa, including the Consulate-General and the High Commission in Pretoria, to intensify engagement with South African authorities.
He also asked the mission to explore available diplomatic channels to pursue the case and strengthen protection for Nigerians living in the country.
Nwobi expressed solidarity with Olaleye’s wife, two children, and the wider Nigerian community, and reiterated the union’s call for justice.
The Nigerian Union has previously raised concerns about the safety of Nigerians in South Africa.
In May, NUSA and the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa said in a joint statement that at least 105 Nigerians had been killed in the country over the preceding seven years, a figure attributed to the organisations and not independently verified.
