Two Nigerians, identified simply as Austin and Ayo, have been shot dead by unknown gunmen in Durban, South Africa.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred around 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 9. According to eyewitness accounts, three masked assailants stormed Austin’s office, where he was meeting with his friend Ayo, and opened fire without uttering a word.
A close friend of the victims, who gave his name as Fidelis, confirmed the incident during a phone interview on Monday. He said, “Austin ran a car dealership and also sold tyres in Durban. Ayo had come to visit him that evening. While they were chatting in the shop, three masked men burst in with guns and immediately shot both of them.”
Fidelis added that some customers who were in the shop fled when the gunmen appeared. “People nearby heard the gunshots and saw the masked attackers flee the scene. The victims were rushed to the hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival,” he said.
A separate source in Nigeria, who had access to the security footage, shared CCTV clips with our correspondent. The video reportedly showed the two men chatting before Austin was shot at close range. Ayo was hit while attempting to escape.
The source revealed, “We only learned about the incident a week later. Some speculate it might be tied to a business dispute, but the exact motive remains unclear. As of now, the culprits have not been apprehended, though authorities claim investigations are ongoing.”
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for 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 this report.
