The Government of Ghana has repatriated the body of 37-year-old Nash Amoonu Jailor, a Ghanaian national who was reportedly killed in an alleged mob attack in South Africa earlier this year.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, extended the government’s condolences to the bereaved family and assured them of continued support as they mourn their loss.
Jailor’s mortal remains arrived at the Kotoka International Airport on Wednesday at about 3:00 p.m. and were subsequently handed over to his family, with the full cost of the repatriation borne by the Government of Ghana.
The government, through Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria, has pledged it would continue to pursue justice for the deceased and press the relevant South African authorities for a swift investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
“Through the Ghanaian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa, the government continues to call for a swift investigation into the circumstances surrounding Jailor’s death and for justice to be served,” the Ministry stated.
Jailor hailed from Bator in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region. His family had only days earlier appealed to the Foreign Affairs Minister and the government to intervene and facilitate the repatriation of his remains for burial.
The family said Jailor, an information technology expert and their principal breadwinner, had lived in South Africa for more than a decade, where he operated his own IT firm.
According to the family, he was reportedly attacked and killed in East London while returning home from work, at the beginning of the wave of anti-immigrant tensions that later gripped parts of South Africa. The circumstances surrounding his death, however, remain subject to investigation.
His mother, Patience Dotse Adjei, had made an emotional appeal for government support, saying the family had been left devastated by his death and desperately wanted his remains returned to Ghana for a befitting burial.
The repatriation of Jailor’s remains comes after months of anguish for the family, who said they had been informed that efforts were underway to bring his body home and had already made preparations for his burial.
Jailor’s case is the second recent repatriation of the remains of a Ghanaian who died in South Africa amid heightened concerns over the safety of foreign nationals in the country.
In July, the Government of Ghana also repatriated the remains of Bashiru Isak, a 40-year-old Ghanaian and father of three who was killed in Cape Town during a period of heightened anti-immigrant tensions. His remains arrived in Ghana on July 14, with the government facilitating the repatriation through Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria.
The circumstances surrounding Isak’s death became a major diplomatic concern, with Ghana demanding a thorough investigation and justice for the deceased. The government also agreed with his family to conduct an independent autopsy after Ghana’s High Commission and the family were unsuccessful in obtaining an autopsy report from South African authorities.
South African authorities, however, disputed claims that Isak’s killing was directly linked to xenophobic violence, maintaining that investigations were ongoing into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The deaths and wider anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa triggered significant concern in Ghana and contributed to the government’s decision to organise voluntary repatriation exercises for Ghanaians who felt unsafe amid the unrest.
The diplomatic tensions also led Ghana to postpone bilateral meetings with South Africa that had been scheduled for August, with the Ghanaian government maintaining that the prevailing environment of anti-migrant violence could overshadow the engagements.
As Ghana continues to engage South African authorities over the safety and protection of its nationals, the repatriation of Jailor’s remains brings closure to a family that had publicly pleaded for assistance while renewing calls for justice and accountability in the circumstances surrounding his death.
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