Nigerian returnee Itoro Richard has recounted how an alleged death threat from a petrol station attendant prompted him to leave South Africa and return to Nigeria ahead of the June 30 “March and March” protest.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, Richard said he left South Africa after receiving several physical threats. He recalled that a petrol attendant he regularly bought fuel from warned him during an argument, saying, “Come the 30th, you will see a different me.”
According to Richard, after he attempted to calm the situation by referring to the man as a young person, the attendant replied, “You call me a young man, come the 30th of June, you will know I’m not a young man,” before allegedly threatening to sever his head and harm his family.
Richard also said his landlord, a Zulu man who participated in South Africa’s liberation struggle and had lived in exile, advised him to leave. Although the landlord reportedly described those issuing the threats as “a few rotten eggs,” Richard said the warning convinced him it was no longer safe to remain in the country, leading to his return to Nigeria.
