FG tells South Africa to end attacks on Nigerians after 98 deaths in four years

The federal government has urged South Africa to take urgent action to end attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants, revealing that 98 Nigerians have been killed in the country over the past four years.

The demand was made on Monday in Abuja when South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, visited Nigeria as a special envoy of President Cyril Ramaphosa to deliver a message to President Bola Tinubu and hold talks aimed at easing tensions over recurring attacks on foreign nationals.

Leading the Nigerian delegation, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, said President Tinubu directed that the meeting should address what he described as persistent “Afrophobic attacks” against Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa.

Enikanolaiye said the attacks had become a source of serious concern to the Nigerian government, noting that official records showed 98 Nigerians had been killed in mob and hate-related attacks in South Africa over the last four years.

“We have seen a pattern that has become a concern to the Nigerian government,” the minister said, warning that continued violence could undermine the longstanding strategic relationship between Africa’s two largest economies.

He recalled that the Federal Government had evacuated more than 1,500 Nigerians from South Africa following previous waves of violence, describing the experience as deeply distressing.

“I shed tears when I received the first batch of evacuees. I saw children, women and the elderly returning home with almost nothing after their properties had been looted and destroyed. That is not the Africa we want,” he said.

The minister questioned why South African security agencies failed to prevent some of the attacks despite many of the victims being lawful residents.