South African authorities have taken into custody a woman suspected of involvement in the brutal murder of Isaac Satlat, a 22-year-old Nigerian e-hailing driver, in Pretoria West earlier this week.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to police reports, Satlat was attacked on February 11 after accepting a ride request. CCTV footage reportedly captured a female passenger assaulting him while a male accomplice in the back seat joined the attack.
The victim was allegedly strangled from behind before the suspects took control of his vehicle and abandoned his body in the back seat. Police later recovered both Satlat’s body and the hijacked car in Atteridgeville the same day.
“The police have arrested a female suspect after an e-hailing driver was allegedly killed while inside the car in Pretoria West on Wednesday, 11/02. More arrests are imminent as the police investigation continues,” the Pretoria West Police said in a statement.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that the victim was murdered by a male and female who had requested the services of an e-hailing driver in Pretoria West. The hijacked vehicle and the body of the victim were found in Atteridgeville on the same day,” the statement added.
The arrested suspect is expected to appear before the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on Monday, facing charges of car hijacking and murder. Investigators have indicated that further arrests are likely as inquiries continue.
Satlat, a student in South Africa, was reportedly set to graduate in March. His death has reignited public concern over attacks on foreigners, particularly Nigerians, in South Africa.
Civil society groups and Nigerian community organisations have condemned the killing, describing it as part of a worrying pattern of xenophobic violence and urging authorities to ensure justice is served.
This incident comes amid heightened tensions over crimes targeting foreign nationals, with recent reports indicating a rise in violent attacks on Nigerian and other African residents in parts of South Africa, sparking both local and international calls for stronger government intervention.
