JOHANNESBURG COURT ORDERS IPID REPORT ON NIGERIAN MAN’S ALLEGED TORTURE, DISAPPEARANCE DURING TV RAID

By Aishat Momoh. O.

 

The Johannesburg High Court has ordered the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to deliver a comprehensive report detailing the alleged torture, assault, and disappearance of Nigerian national Silas Ani. The incident occurred during a controversial drug raid filmed for the reality television programme Sizok’thola, aired on DStv’s Moja Love channel.

 

Presiding over the matter, Judge Denise Fisher expressed grave concern over the conduct of the operation, which took place on April 24, 2025, and has since drawn public and legal scrutiny. The show is known for its confrontational tactics in exposing alleged drug activities, but the latest developments have raised questions over legality, accountability, and human rights.

 

Judge Fisher directed IPID to submit its findings to the National Director of Public Prosecutions by August 8, 2025, with a copy also to be provided to Ani’s family. The report must include “recommendations for further action,” the court ordered.

 

According to reports submitted to the court, Ani and several other Nigerian nationals were allegedly detained and tortured by individuals linked to the show’s production team, including private security personnel and civilians, during a raid that was captured on camera.

 

Judge Fisher stated: “An operation was undertaken by a group of people, including security companies and the operators of a TV programme on Moja Love… These men, all Nigerian citizens, were taken to an empty flat where they were tortured brutally by being beaten for the purpose of getting them to confess on camera.”

 

Silas Ani was last seen unconscious, reportedly loaded into a black BMW driven by masked men allegedly connected to Sizok’thola presenter Xolani Khumalo. Despite earlier police denials of involvement, the court was presented with photographic and video evidence showing uniformed officers present and civilians making arrests while police stood by.

 

“The footage shows civilians making arrests and placing people into police vans while uniformed officers stood by,” said Judge Fisher.

 

In a shocking revelation, Thulani Magagula, IPID’s assistant director, confirmed that the raid was “irregular and unlawful,” stating that civilians, not police, appeared to be in charge of the operation.

 

“In an operation, the police must be in charge,” Magagula told the court. “But in this operation, it was a surprise when civilians were in charge instead of the police.”

 

Magagula testified that video footage showed Khumalo actively participating in arrests, an action he called “unlawful,” as neither Khumalo nor the media company, Siyaya Media Network, have the legal authority to conduct searches or detain individuals.

 

He added that victim testimonies described beatings with a cricket bat and naked torture. Regarding Ani, he said:

 

“The missing person was also tortured while naked. The last time Ani was seen, he was unconscious and in the custody of Khumalo and his team not the police.”

 

IPID is still attempting to trace Ani’s whereabouts through mobile data and banking records. However, signs are grim.

 

“Ani might have died on the spot,” Magagula told the court. “His movement at Home Affairs shows he never left the country. His personal bank account is also stagnant.”

 

Ani’s legal representative, Magda Bezuidenhout, shared the family’s anguish:

 

“The family wants to know if he’s alive or not. And if not, where is his body so they can bury him.”

 

Judge Fisher assured the family that the legal process would proceed with urgency and transparency:

 

“I hope comfort is given to your client and their family that an investigation is underway.”

 

This case is the latest in a series of alleged xenophobic abuses and human rights violations targeting Nigerian and other African nationals in South Africa. It also raises serious concerns about the involvement of media platforms in unlawful policing activities.

 

Moja Love and Sizok’thola have not released an official statement in response to the court’s findings at the time of this report.