The Senate Committee Chairman on Diaspora and CSOs, Dr Rose Oko, has reacted over the recent the recent attack by some South African taxi drivers who violently descended on some Nigerians having meeting, which led to the death of an auto mechanic, Rasak Ajao, and many others injured, demanded that the South African government bring out the killers.
This was contained in a statement signed by Sen Oko, where she said the incident has been confirmed by the Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, on Thursday last week in Polokwane of Limpopo Province of that country.
According to her between 2008 and 2017 there have been 9 xenophobic attacks on immigrants including Nigerians and between 2016 and 2017, 21 extra judicial killings of Nigerians.
The statement reads in part: “It is regrettable and indeed condemnable that yet another Nigerian Mr. Razak Ajao, an auto mechanic, has again been killed and four others injured in a fresh attack in South Africa.
“This was reported to have occurred on Thursday in Polokwane, Limpopo Province of South Africa. While Nigerians were having a peaceful meeting, a mob of taxi drivers was said to have descended on them and in the ensuing attack killed Mr. Ajao and injured four others.
“The Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa is reported to have confirmed the incidents and registered a protest to the South African authorities. We strongly condemn yet another killing of a Nigerian in South Africa and urge the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa to take necessary steps based on the agreements recently reached to ensure that justice is done.
“We further urge the South African government to put concrete strategies in place to quickly check any future occurrence of these killings by bringing the perpetrators of the death of Mr. Ajao in particular, and all others to book as a way of curbing future occurrence.
“Last Thursday’s attack leading to the death of Mr. Razak Ajao is a sad indication that the problem is still very rife, notwithstanding the recent agreements reached between the two countries and the assurances made by the South African government that the attacks and killings would not reoccur. It is sad that in these several attacks there have been no known convictions of perpetrators or compensation of victims which could otherwise have stemmed the rising tides of these attacks.”
Recalling the xenophobic attacks that led to the establishment of early warning unit by the two countries during a visit by the Nigerian Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior to their South African counterparts to prevent future attacks, the Senator said with the mutual relationship that had existed between both countries should not have warranted these unnecessary and incessant negative actions by some South Africans against Nigerians and other foreigners in their country.
“It is to be noted that only on 18th February, 2017 a xenophobic attack against immigrants including Nigerians took place in Pretoria West where several shops belonging to Nigerians were looted and burnt by South Africans.
“In the wake of that attack, both the Nigerian parliament and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior visited their counterparts in South Africa with a view to finding lasting solutions to the xenophobic attacks and extra judicial killings of Nigerians in the country.
“The agreements reached included the creation of an early warning unit to prevent future attacks and addressing all outstanding and future grievances of the Nigerian community.
“At the legislative level, the two parliaments in a joint statement, acknowledged that Nigeria provided unwavering support and solidarity to the people of South Africa to unseat apartheid and usher in freedom and democracy, and committed to work collaboratively to strengthen existing relations between the two countries as well as deepen diplomatic ties to the mutual benefit of both countries”, she said.
Meanwhile, she (Oko) appealed to the Nigerian community to remain calm even in the face of this new attack for the law to take its course, and also urged them to be law abiding in their host country, eschewing all actions that contravene the law, jeopardize their lives and derogate their country.
