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Xenophobia: Nigeria not happy with South Africa — FG
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The Federal Government has said it may consider retaliatory measures against South Africa over the treatment of Nigerians living in the country, even as arrangements for the evacuation of citizens willing to return home are being finalised.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Abuja, on Monday.
Responding to a question on whether Nigeria was considering retaliation, the minister said, “Well, that is a situation that we are considering. This is up to our legislature. This is up to the highest.
“This is a decision that has to be taken at the highest level of government, but it’s not off the table.”
She said Nigeria’s position was informed by growing concerns over the alleged harassment and attacks on its citizens in South Africa.
“Nigeria is not happy with South Africa. Nigeria is not happy because Nigeria has sacrificed much for the South African struggle for independence. Nigeria sacrificed quite a lot, committed funds, committed resources to aid South Africa,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu recalled that Nigeria played a frontline role in supporting South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, including providing educational opportunities for South African students and supporting advocacy efforts against the apartheid regime.
“And Nigerians are not happy about how they have treated us,” she added.
The minister rejected claims that Nigerians affected by the situation were largely illegal migrants, insisting that many were legitimate business owners and residents.
“That is absolutely untrue. Citizens are being harassed. Citizens, their properties are being looted. Criminal actions are perpetuated on our citizens,” she said.
According to her, some Nigerians have had their businesses attacked and properties destroyed.
“People who are doing legitimate business have their shops looted. They have their shops set on fire,” she said.
On the evacuation process, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the repatriation programme remained on course despite ongoing documentation and screening procedures involving both Nigerian and South African authorities.
“Mr. President himself has reiterated the fact that this aircraft must come to South Africa. And our citizens who are imperilled will have the chance of getting on this aircraft to be brought back to their country,” she said.
The minister disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had directed the establishment of a crisis response unit within Nigeria’s diplomatic missions in South Africa to coordinate assistance for affected citizens.
She added that the evacuation exercise was being carried out in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency and other government agencies to ensure that returnees receive adequate support and rehabilitation.
The development comes after the Federal Government extended the screening exercise for Nigerians seeking evacuation from South Africa to June 10, 2026.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier disclosed that more than 500 Nigerians had been screened and cleared, while over 1,000 citizens had indicated interest in returning home.
In a related development, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated his government’s commitment to lawful migration management, stressing that violence, intimidation and xenophobia have no place in the country.
Addressing the nation on Sunday, Ramaphosa outlined actions and behaviours he described as unacceptable, including unauthorised individuals demanding documentation or proof of nationality, blocking access to public services, and acts of violence against foreign nationals.
The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, and other leaders of the NDC, on Monday, held a closed-door peace talks with aggrieved members of the party in Kano State.
Osa Director, the national spokesperson of the NDC, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Mr Director explained that the closed-door peace talks were part of efforts to resolve the primary election-related crisis between Kwankwasiya Movement and other NDC members in the North-western state.
Kwankwasiya Movement is a political support group founded by the NDC vice-presidential candidate and former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The national spokesperson said the meeting, which lasted for several hours, was “productive.”
Senator Dickson and the NDC leadership are mediating in the process in order to enhance inclusion and participation by every party member.
According to Oda Director the NDC leadership will not impose candidates in Kano State, and indeed across the nation as the party cherishes the virtues of internal democracy,” he said.
He stressed that the NDC has not released any official results of its 2027 primaries in any state.
He urged members to disregard any such list in circulation.
The cause of the crisis
It was gathered that some NDC members in North-west Nigeria recently alleged Mr Kwankwaso was plotting to facilitate the dominance of members of Kwankwasiya Movement in the region’s party structure while dropping other key party leaders.
The Vice-Chairman of the NDC in the North-west, Mohammed Serina, and the Chairman of the party in Kano State, Hussaini Mariga, made the allegations against Mr Kwankwaso in a petition recently submitted to the party’s national leadership.
The petition followed purported results of NDC’s primaries in North-west circulating on Facebook in which the majority of winners were linked to the Kwankwasiya Movement.
The Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has removed the names of Ahmed Yayari and Daniel Woyengikuro from its portal as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Treasurer and National Financial Secretary, respectively.
According to a check by DAILY POST shows that both names have also been replaced with Odeyemi Mackson Oladiran and Eyim Donatus Henry as the new executives.
Yayari and Woyengikuro who are part of the Makinde-backed Turaki faction while Odeyemi and Eyim are members of the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s faction, which is also the recognised faction of the PDP.
INEC had earlier recognised Wike’s faction by putting the names of Abdulrahman Mohammed as the National Chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary, but had left the names of Yayari and Woyengikuro as part of the executives.
With the recent update on its portal, all executives of the PDP on INEC’s portal are now aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, again arraigned a social media influencer and self-acclaimed relationship therapist, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, also known as Blessing CEO, for an alleged N69.1 million fraud.
Blessing CEO was arraigned before Justice R.A. Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing to the tune of N69,150,000.
At the commencement of the proceedings, the prosecution counsel, C. C. Okezie, urged the court to proceed with the arraignment, arguing that the defendant had been duly served with the charge.
However, the defence counsel, Nkama Nneka, informed the court that service of the charge had only recently been effected.
In his ruling, Justice Oshodi held that the arraignment should proceed in accordance with the law, hence the charges were subsequently read to the defendant.
It will be recalled that Blessing CEO had been arraigned by the EFCC on 15th May 2026 over an alleged N36 million fraud.
NDC leader, Dickson in closed door session peace talks to stop party crisis in Kano
PDP logjam: INEC updates portal, names new treasurer, financial secretary
Alleged N69.1m fraud: Another headache for Blessing CEO as EFCC files fresh charge
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