For the second in a week, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has condemned the continuous killings of Nigerians in South Africa, warning that further attack on Nigerians would no longer be condoned.
This time, Lawan told the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Bobby Moroe, to his face that enough was enough of the xenophobic attacks that has led to the death of 118 Nigerians.
Of the number, 13 allegedly died in the hands of the South African Police, according to Lawan.
A statement from the Senate President’s office said Moroe and his delegation visited to brief the Senate leadership on his government’s investigations to unravel the causes of the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and steps being taken to stop it.
Said Lawan, according to his spokesman, Mohammed Isa: “We in the Parliament must speak and prevent any further killings. These killings must stop. This is the era of social media where corpse of a victim may spark violence that may go beyond the control of government.
“The South African government must as a matter of urgency do whatever it takes to protect the lives and property of Nigerians living there, just as Nigerian government remains committed to the safety of South Africans residing here and their investments.
“I believe we have faced enough, we will no longer take it anymore. We want to write the names of Nigerians killed, and the South African parliament must act fast to put a stop to this menace.
“Over the years, 118 Nigerians have been killed, while 13 out of these were killed by South African Police”.
He recalled the enormous contributions of Nigeria to South Africans during the apartheid rule, adding that, “we must establish events leading into these killings, including the recent one of Mrs.Elizabeth Chukwu, who was killed in her hotel room.”
Nigeria, he said, would no longer condone such killings, and urged the South African government to protect Nigerians residing there.
While commending the High Commissioner for the updates, Lawan noted that, “the update on the cause of late Mrs. Chukwu’s death is heartwarming. It is a sign that something has been done in this regards.”
Earlier, Mr. Moroe expressed regret over the killings of Nigerians and extended his country’s condolences to the families of the victims adding that an inquest had been instituted to investigate all cases of xenophobic attacks in the country.
The inquest, he said, would reveal the cause of the menace and find solutions across board. He reiterated the commitment of South African government and its law enforcement agencies to get to the root of the matter while bringing to book perpetrators of the attacks.
“Our government will continue to be committed to the good relationship with Nigeria. Your sentiment has gone deep into our heart, and you will be happy that the same sentiment has been our concern in South Africa.
“On behalf of the government of South Africa, we express our sincere condolences to Nigerian government for this unfortunate incident”, he stated.
