The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has announced that the administration of President Bola Tinubu may consider retaliatory measures against South Africa.
This potential move is a direct response to South Africa’s perceived complacency and apathetic stance toward decades-long xenophobic violence, which has rendered several parts of the country volatile for Nigerians and other African foreigners.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, Mrs. Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed Nigeria’s deep dissatisfaction, stating that while a final decision rests with the legislature and the highest levels of government, retaliation is firmly on the table.
This diplomatic friction escalates following a recent wave of violence that resulted in the deaths of two Nigerians, Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew. According to reports from the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg, the victims were attacked and beaten by officials of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Port Elizabeth.
The Foreign Minister condemned these actions, pointing out the painful irony that Nigerians are being victimized despite the immense financial, military, diplomatic, and humanitarian sacrifices Nigeria made to support South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle between the 1960s and 1990s.
Furthermore, Mrs. Odumegwu-Ojukwu flatly rejected claims by the South African government that the violence is strictly targeted at illegal immigrants. She labeled these assertions as “absolutely untrue,” emphasizing that many Nigerians with valid legal status have had their homes, shops, and businesses looted or destroyed.
As the Nigerian government weighs its diplomatic options against these ongoing criminal actions, the statement notably follows recent warnings from the Nigerian police advising citizens at home against launching retaliatory attacks on South African business interests within Nigeria.
