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 remain committed to the safety of South Africans residing here and their investments.
Ahmad Lawan, President of the Nigerian Senate, has frowned upon the wanton and indiscriminate killings of Nigerians in South Africa.
Lawan made his dissatisfaction known when he hosted Mr. Bobby Moroe, South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, while also asserting that the country would no longer condone the incessant killings of its citizens.
Moore visited Lawan to brief the Senate on the ongoing investigation to unravel and end xenophobic attacks on Nigerians by South Africans.
Most recent is the killing of Mrs. Elizabeth Chukwu. Late Chukwu was killed in her hotel room in South Africa when she went for a conference of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO).
Records show that about 118 Nigerians had so far lost their lives in different attacks over the years, out of which 13 Nigerians were killed by the South African police.
The senate president in a statement by Mohammed Isa, his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, stated that if the South African government failed to address these killings, it could degenerate into massive violence.
He said, “We in the parliament must speak and prevent any further killings. These killings must stop.
“This is the era of social media where the corpse of a victim may spark violence that may go beyond the control of the 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 remain 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.”
“We must establish events leading into these killings, including the recent one of Mrs.Elizabeth Chukwu, who was killed in her hotel room.”
Lawan urged the South African government to ensure that lives and properties of Nigerians are safe while reminding the country of the enormous contributions of Nigeria to South Africa during the apartheid rule.
Recently, the Nigerian senate had called on President Muhammadu Buhari's administration to issue travel alerts to Nigerians travelling to South Africa in the light of several questionable killings of Nigerians living in the country.