Nigeria warns South Africa, says further attacks may have dire consequences

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs and the diaspora, says further attacks on Nigerians resident in South Africa may have dire consequences.

The Nigerian community in South Africa experienced two major attacks in the last one week.

Ikechukwu Anyene, president of Nigeria Union in South Africa, had raised the alarm over the attacks and looting of Nigerian-owned businesses in Pretoria West.

“As we speak, five buildings with Nigerian businesses, including a church have been looted and burned by South Africans,”  he had told NAN.

In a statement issued in Abuja, on Monday, Dabiri-Erewa called on the South African government to take decisive and definitive measures to protect Nigerian citizens and other Africans within its borders.

She advised Nigerians to be cautious as “it looks like South African government seems to have no control over these attacks”.

Dabiri-Erewa also called on the African Union (AU) to intervene in the renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans in the country.

She said the attention of the AU was called because information had it that there would be more xenophobic attacks on foreigners on Wednesday and Thursday.

“These attacks should not be allowed to continue because it is a big setback,” she said.

Two weeks ago, Dabiri-Erewa met with Lulu Aaron-Mnguni, South African high commissioner in Nigeria, on the killing of Nigerians in his country.

Aaron-Mnguni had promised that the South African government was investigating the matter.

“We have lost about 116 Nigerians in the last two years. And in 2016 alone, about 20 were killed. This is unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria,” Dabiri-Erewa had said.