Trending 
The Nigerian Government has vowed to protect its citizens and national interests against renewed xenophobic attacks and anti-immigration protests in South Africa.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, the Presidential Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Demola Oshodi, said the government will not tolerate the humiliation of Nigerians or damage to the country’s interests.
Officers were out in force to prevent violence and looting by the xenophobic groups, while hundreds of foreign nationals took refuge in several cities, urgently seeking help to leave. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
“We will not accept any sort of humiliation or definitely any huge damages to our interests there. It’s just not possible,” Oshodi said.
“But I do assure you that we take the lives of Nigerians more seriously than even these investments that I’m talking about, and you can see that in the fact that the president has sent his ambassador there.”
Oshodi said the Nigerian Government would continue to adopt a measured approach because of the longstanding diplomatic and economic ties between both countries.
“The Tinubu government is really on top of things. I’ve said we’ve moved hundreds of the most vulnerable people out of South Africa,” he said. “We’ve escalated this to the South African government, and we are taking steps to do more.”
“There’s a lot of vested interest in both countries. There are a lot of investments in both countries. We also have a history together. We have been the two largest economies in Africa. So it’s important we take things incrementally.
“We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, as they say. So it’s watch and see what is going to happen today, the June 30 deadline they’ve given, and see how much the South African government is taking steps to protect our nationals.”
The latest wave of anti-immigration protests has prompted Nigeria and Ghana to repatriate citizens from South Africa. Another batch of Nigerians returned home on Tuesday, the deadline set by some groups for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, said the government was pursuing compensation for Nigerians who abandoned their businesses and property due to the unrest.
“So, this repatriation will not end with just taking people to Nigeria. We are going to systematically follow up on the information given to us, and I told them to be very accurate with what they are going to give because we are going to work with the South African government to get to the exact locations of all these businesses, shops and properties and present them to the South African government for possible compensation because we will not allow the labour people have suffered to build over the years to just go down the drain or be taken over by people,” Ajayi said during Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Thousands of demonstrators marched across South Africa on Tuesday, demanding the departure of undocumented foreign nationals after weeks of anti-migrant campaigns that have displaced thousands of people and reportedly claimed four lives.
Police maintained a heavy presence during the nationwide demonstrations, with isolated incidents of stone-throwing and confrontations reported near Johannesburg. Authorities also arrested several people for looting and deployed soldiers to Johannesburg and Durban overnight to maintain order.
Across central Johannesburg, protesters carrying sticks and flags marched through the streets, while many businesses remained closed, public transport services were disrupted and residents stayed indoors.
