Time bomb! More Nigerians protest against xenophobic attacks

Trouble may not be far off, as more and more Nigerians protest against the rate of xenophobia attacks in South Africa, and how it is affecting their compatriots in that country, and are threatening to take it out on South African interests, and citizens in Nigeria.

Hundreds of youths took to the streets of Enugu on Tuesday to protest xenophobic attacks targeted at Nigerians and other African nationals by South Africans, demanding an end to the attacks within 48 hours, failing which South African investments in Enugu State and other parts of Nigeria would be destroyed.

The youths, under the aegis of Youth Action for Success, carried placards with various inscriptions, including ‘No to mindless killing of Nigerians!’, ‘Stop this xenophobia now!’, ‘Don’t tempt our patience’, among others.

In another instance, a civil rights organisation, One Africa Initiative, has threatened to embark on reprisal against South Africa investments in Nigeria and its Embassy in Abuja if the xenophobia attacks on migrants and migrant workers continue unchecked.

The group tabled their demands during a protest march on Monday in Abuja to some offices owned by South African citizens, including MTN Nigeria, DSTv and South African Embassy.

Aggrieved youths also made threats during another protest at the office of telecommunications giant, MTN in Benin City, capital of Edo State.

Also, the managements of MTN and DSTV, two South African business in the country unanimously condemned the cowardly acts of violence against fellow Africans by South Africans and advocated equality and freedom for all Africans living in the Mandela country.

But despite the peaceable remarks by the South African firms, some youths, under the aegis of The Flagship, have threatened to shut down all South African firms operating in Nigeria.

The group’s spokesperson, Austin Enabulele, described the attacks as inhuman and condemnable, adding that the protest was a warning to the South African government to put a stop to the attacks on Nigerians or risk losing its foreign investments.

Leader of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) Dr. Fredrick Fasehun at a media briefing on Tuesday gave the South African government 48 hours to stop the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa or face its wrath.

He said, “These ill-advised attacks are capable of bringing out the beast in the best of men. And we will not watch as fellow Nigerians are wantonly killed in cold blood.

“Enough is enough. South Africans must know that nobody has a monopoly of violence. They must halt the killings, the maiming and the looting of foreigners’ shops in their country. These incidents of xenophobia will provoke reprisals against South Africans and their interests in other lands.

 

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