Two Nigerian nationals, Thinedu Chukwu, 39, and Ikenna Obi, 43, have been arrested and charged by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in connection with the kidnapping and subsequent murder of a 49-year-old man in Lydenburg, Mpumalanga.
The arrests follow a rapid investigation into the disappearance of the victim, Gift Combrinck.
Provincial police spokesperson, Sergeant Thulisile Magagula, provided details on the sequence of events:
"A missing person case was opened on 23 September 2025 after Gift Combrinck from Kellysville, Lydenburg, was reported missing."
“Tragically, on 25 September 2025, the body of Mr Combrinck was discovered near De Clerq Street in Lydenburg. Preliminary investigations suggest that the victim was kidnapped, which led to the arrest of the two suspects,” said Magagula.
Both Chukwu and Obi have since been formally charged with kidnapping and murder.
The two accused men appeared before the Mashishing Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga.
The case was postponed to October 2, 2025. The purpose of the postponement is for the verification of the suspects' travel documents and to allow the investigating team to conduct further investigation.
Meanwhile, the acting provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has welcomed the arrests and expressed confidence in the police’s ongoing work.
“We trust that justice will prevail and that a thorough investigation will be conducted,” said Mkhwanazi.