The South African Police Service (SAPS) has dismissed social media claims linking the death of a Nigerian national in police custody to anti-illegal immigration protests, describing the allegations as false and misleading.
According to SAPS, the incident occurred on 28 June 2026 in the Sunnyside policing precinct in Pretoria. Members of the SAPS Tshwane Drugs Team, acting on intelligence, arrested the man at his apartment for allegedly being in possession of drugs.
Police said the suspect was handcuffed during the arrest but collapsed while officers were escorting him into custody. Emergency medical services were immediately called to the scene, where paramedics declared him dead.
As the death occurred while the suspect was in police custody, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) was notified in line with legal requirements.
SAPS confirmed that an inquest docket and a case of possession of drugs were opened. The drugs allegedly found at the scene were booked into the SAPS 13 evidence store for further investigation.
The police added that both a SAPS detective and an IPID investigator attended the post-mortem examination. It was subsequently decided that the investigation would continue pending the outcome of the post-mortem results.
SAPS has urged the public not to spread unverified information, stressing that there is currently no evidence linking the incident to anti-illegal immigration protests.
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the man’s death remain ongoing.
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