Two Nigerian nationals, simply identified as Austin and Ayo, have been shot dead by unknown gunmen in Durban, South Africa.
The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday, July 9, when three armed men stormed Austin’s office around 8 p.m., shooting both men at close range before fleeing the scene.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Austin was engaged in car sales and tyre business, while Ayo had visited him at the time of the attack. The assailants, described as masked men, allegedly barged into the shop without warning and opened fire.
A friend of one of the deceased, who identified himself simply as Fidelis, told PUNCH on the phone Monday, “Austin runs a car business and also sells tyres in Durban. On the day of the incident, his friend Ayo came to visit him at his shop. They were standing and talking when some men wearing masks suddenly ran into the shop. The men were holding guns, and without saying a word, they shot both of them.”
He added, “People nearby said they heard gunshots and saw the masked men run away quickly after the attack. Efforts were made to rush the victims to the hospital, where they were confirmed dead on arrival by doctors on duty.”
A second source, based in Nigeria and familiar with the case, shared CCTV footage of the shooting with PUNCH. The footage reportedly showed the moment the gunmen emerged from behind and shot Austin at close range, while Ayo was gunned down as he attempted to flee.
“We got to know about the incident a week after it happened. Although there were claims that the killing was connected to a business that went wrong, we had yet to figure out the cause of the attack. Even as we speak, the authorities have yet to fish out the perpetrators. We were only told an investigation was ongoing,” the source disclosed.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdulrahman Balogun, were unsuccessful. Calls to his phone went unanswered, and a text message sent to him had not been replied to at the time of reporting.
This latest incident comes amid increasing concerns over the safety of Nigerians living in South Africa. In May, PUNCH Metro reported that the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA) demanded justice after two other Nigerians, Taiwo Raji and Yemi Akinwunmi, were shot dead in Pretoria on April 20, 2025.
NICASA President, Frank Onyekwelu, had then decried the slow pace of justice, revealing that the suspected killer had been released on bail.
In yet another troubling case, Onyekwelu revealed that Nigerian businessman Silas Ani was kidnapped from his Johannesburg residence on April 24, 2025, allegedly by a man named Xolani Khumalo.
He also referenced the December 7, 2024 killing of Julius Chukwunta, another Nigerian who was attacked at his residence in Midrand, Johannesburg.
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