Nigerian Dies After Swallowing Drugs In South Africa

By Nkasi Kolie

Three Nigerians have died under different circumstances in Johannesburg, South Africa, with two shot dead by the  police.

The other, a 31-year-old Nigerian national, died in Johannesburg after allegedly swallowing drugs in an attempt to hide evidence from police officers.

The incidents were disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Independent Police investigative Directorate (Ipid).

Spokesperson of Ipid, Grace Langa, said Johannesburg metro police officers were patrolling along Selby on Tuesday, when they noticed a red VW Polo parked, with a window opened as the driver was talking to someone outside the car.

“The driver of the Polo was giving the guy something that looked like drugs. The members approached the Polo and the guy next to the window ran away. The Polo also drove off and the police followed the vehicle and stopped it.

“Police searched the vehicle and drugs were found inside. The driver indicated that the drugs belonged to his brother.

“The suspect was arrested and put inside the police vehicle to show the officers where his brother was. When the brother noticed the police he ran away, took out drugs from his front body and swallowed them. He then collapsed.

“An ambulance was summoned to the scene and they declared him dead”, she said.

Langa said a postmortem would be conducted at Hillbrow Mortuary.