The Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA) has strongly condemned the recent brutal attack on seven Nigerians and the subsequent kidnapping of Ani Silas in Springs, Gauteng Province, South Africa. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, has raised significant concerns within the Nigerian community in South Africa, prompting NUSA to call for urgent and decisive action from South African authorities.
According to a statement released by NUSA on Sunday, Silas was violently assaulted and abducted from his workplace by a member of staff from a local television station. The assailant was reportedly accompanied by his media team, private security personnel, and members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) Crime Prevention Unit, who were stationed at Springs SAPS.
Eyewitnesses to the unprovoked attack and kidnapping have since come forward, and NUSA has obtained video evidence showing SAPS officers standing by while the assault took place. NUSA has expressed grave concern over the failure of law enforcement officials to intervene, describing their actions as a gross dereliction of duty that may suggest complicity in the crime.
The statement also revealed that, despite extensive searches in hospitals, morgues, and police stations across the Gauteng Province, Silas remains missing. A formal kidnapping case (Case Number: 508/4/2025) has been lodged with the Springs SAPS, and the investigation has been transferred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
In light of the ongoing investigation, NUSA has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Silas. The Union has demanded that South African authorities hold all individuals involved in the assault and abduction accountable, including the suspension and arrest of the SAPS officers who allegedly failed to prevent the attack.
NUSA also called for a formal inquiry into the assailant and his accomplices, particularly regarding their history of violent xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerian nationals. The Union emphasised that this is part of a troubling pattern of hostility towards foreign nationals, particularly Nigerians, in South Africa.
Further, NUSA has demanded assurances from the South African government that the rights of all foreign nationals will be safeguarded, in accordance with both South African constitutional guarantees and international human rights conventions. The statement reminded the authorities that South African law, specifically the Prevention and Combating of Torture of Persons Act 13 of 2013, prohibits acts of torture, assault, and kidnapping.
In a call for unity and vigilance, NUSA President Smart Nwobi urged Nigerians in South Africa to remain calm and peaceful as the situation unfolds. Nwobi assured that NUSA is in communication with Nigerian diplomatic missions, international human rights organisations, and the African Union to ensure justice is served.
Nwobi further warned that, should NUSA’s demands not be met by the stipulated deadline, the Nigerian community in Springs would peacefully occupy the Springs police station to demand action. He also pledged that NUSA would explore all available legal channels to secure justice for Silas and all other victims of similar attacks.
As tensions rise, the Nigerian Union South Africa continues to demand that South African authorities act swiftly and decisively to ensure the safety and dignity of foreign nationals residing in the country.
