Over 6,000 Nigerians are being investigated for various crimes by South Africa police, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Kabir B
Over 6,000 Nigerians are being investigated for various crimes by South Africa police, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Kabir Bala has revealed. The crimes range from drug-related offences to murder, fraud and armed robbery. The statistics, he said, is from the South African Police Service.
“We have to look at it from a proper perspective so that we don’t tilt the balance. And then we overlook the fact that some of our nationals engage in things that are not legal here. We have 6,089 of them having cases that are being concluded or investigated and some of them in prison, we have them.”
The diplomat, however, explained that the accused persons, whether Nigerians or other nationals, have the right to fair trial before being convicted, if found guilt in line with the laws. His remark followed a meeting of the heads of Nigeria’s two missions in South Africa, with the country’s Police Minister Bheki Cele and top police officials in Pretoria, on the country’s crime statistics as it is related to Nigerian citizens.
Bala, who was accompanied by the Consul-General, Godwin Adama, to the meeting, said the figures were quite shocking.
