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The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to the Nigerian Government to ensure the safety and protection of Nigerian students in South Africa.
Kenechukwu Aneke, Vice President for External Affairs of NANS, in a statement issued on Wednesday, lamented the xenophobic attacks Nigerians in South Africa have been subjected to. He described the recent wave of attacks as a disturbing pattern of hostility.
He revealed that Nigerian students in South Africa now live in fear and uncertainty since the recent attacks on Black migrants, including Nigerians, began in South Africa, adding that their protection must be treated as a national emergency.
The group also urged the Nigerian Government to engage the South African Government in diplomatic talks to secure the safety of Nigerians in South Africa. It also urged the government to provide safe shelters, dedicated emergency hotlines, and financial assistance to Nigerians in the country.
“Diplomacy remains the most responsible path, but it must be proactive, firm, and result-oriented. Nigerian lives must not be left to bureaucratic delay. The time to act is now. Every delay endangers innocent lives,” the statement read.
Violence against African migrants, including Nigerians, in South Africa is recurring. Videos of attacks circulated on social media last week, showing some South Africans wielding sticks as they chased and beat Black migrants and ordered them to leave the country. The Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg said on Monday that two Nigerians were killed during the xenophobic attacks.
The Nigeria Catchball Federation (NCF) withdrew from a forthcoming tournament in South Africa over the xenophobic attacks in South Africa on Tuesday.
