The Federal Government on Monday strongly condemned the recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa, urging Pretoria to take urgent and concrete steps to end the violence.
The condemnation comes as President Bola Tinubu declined to personally receive a special envoy from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Instead, the President directed the delegation, led by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, to meet with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Sola Enikanolaiye, who is expected to brief the President on the outcome of the talks.
Multiple Presidency sources told The PUNCH that although the South African delegation arrived in Abuja on Friday with a message from President Ramaphosa, Tinubu opted against meeting them amid the diplomatic tension generated by the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
One Presidency source said, “They actually came here on Friday wanting to see the President. But there was no prior notice.
“We said we couldn’t just allow them to see the President without first asking if he was available. When Monday came, the President directed that they should meet the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Enikanolaiye, who would brief him afterwards.”
Another source confirmed that Tinubu had no meeting scheduled with the delegation, while a third said Foreign Affairs Minister, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, advised that it was not the appropriate time for the President to receive the envoy because attacks on Nigerians and their businesses were still ongoing.
Speaking while receiving the delegation in Abuja, Amb Enikanolaiye said the President directed the meeting to exchange views on resolving the attacks, stressing that the long-standing strategic relationship between both countries should not be undermined by violence against African migrants.
While expressing disappointment at the acts of the South Africans towards Nigerians in their country, Enikanolaiye recalled Nigeria’s support for South Africa’s liberation from apartheid and the strategic partnership both countries later forged through the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.
“It is with profound pleasure that I welcome our brothers from South Africa. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had actually asked us to meet with you and exchange views and perspectives on how to address and resolve the ongoing Afrophobic attacks in South Africa, of which Nigerians and other citizens of Africa have been victims,” he said.
The minister expressed disappointment over what he described as a persistent pattern of attacks dating back more than three decades.
“We have seen a pattern emerge as early as 1995, 1998, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2026.
“From 2022 alone, 98 Nigerians have died in mob actions and hate-related attacks that we have described as Afrophobia because Africans, particularly Nigerians, are the predominant victims,” he said.
Enikanolaiye stressed that while Nigeria does not condone criminality, anyone accused of an offence should be prosecuted in accordance with the law rather than subjected to mob justice.
“The Nigerian government will not support drug peddlers, but what we are saying is that anyone accused of an offence should be treated in accordance with your constitution, international human rights instruments and the minimum requirements of humanity,” he said.
He added that many Nigerians legally residing in South Africa had also become victims of attacks, expressing concern over instances where security agencies allegedly failed to intervene.
“If someone is, quote-unquote, a criminal for drug trafficking, there are rules, there are regulations for when they are arrested, prosecuted, and jailed.
“The Nigerian government will not support drug peddlers, but please, what we’re saying is that treat them in accordance with your constitution, in accordance with international human rights instruments, in accordance with the minimum requirement of humanity.
“But what we have found is that this xenophobic act has gone beyond the attack on criminals. We have records of Nigerians who have a legitimate purpose to remain in South Africa, yet they have been attacked.
“We could see some mob actions, where we saw the police watching, as if they are helpless to address this situation, which to us raises issues of state responsibility. It raises issues of complicity. If the state authorities are not able or unwilling to tackle these challenges,” he said.
The minister also recalled the humanitarian consequences of previous attacks, saying Nigeria had evacuated nearly 1,500 citizens from South Africa.
“I shed tears in the plane when I saw children, women and the elderly returning home with almost nothing. Some had their properties looted and destroyed,” he said.
The meeting comes weeks after a fresh wave of xenophobic violence that erupted in April prompted Nigeria to approve evacuation flights for stranded citizens, with more than 1,000 Nigerians registering for voluntary repatriation.
Responding, Lamola said Ramaphosa sent him to Abuja to reaffirm South Africa’s opposition to xenophobia and other forms of intolerance.
“We have been outspoken against any intolerance, including xenophobia, racism, homophobia, violence and discrimination directed at individuals within our borders,” he said.
He, however, maintained that South Africa would continue to enforce its immigration laws and tackle criminal activities.
“President Ramaphosa has also been very firm on South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce immigration laws, including dealing decisively with irregular migration, undocumented immigrants and acts of criminality committed within our borders,” Lamola added.
He described migration as a continental challenge requiring joint action by African countries and expressed optimism that continued dialogue between Abuja and Pretoria would help ease the current diplomatic tension.
Relations between both countries have deteriorated sharply following repeated attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
In recent weeks, the House of Representatives recommended the suspension of business permits for South African companies operating in Nigeria, while the Senate dispatched a delegation to Pretoria to formally register Nigeria’s displeasure over the attacks.
