121 Nigerians killed in S’Africa in 18 months, Falana cries out

…Criminal activity among our own people responsible for killings – Ramaphosa
A senior lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) has raised the alarm over the killings of about 121 Nigerians South Africa and criticised the federal government for “not taking steps to end the extrajudicial killing of Nigerians in South Africa.”

Falana also decried the reported killings of about 121 Nigerians in South Africa in the past 18 months, usually in xenophobic attacks, citing the most recent being Chibuzo Nwankwo who was murdered last week.

In a statement made available on Sunday, Falana stated that it was regrettable that the federal government “has not gone beyond the regular condemnation” of the killings while also accusing the South African government of inaction.

He said despite the killings, governments of Nigeria and South Africa have “deliberately refused to accept the jurisdictional competence of the African court on human and people’s rights by making a declaration in line with article 34 (6) of the protocol for the establishment of the court.

Falana said, “Thus, by refusing to make the declaration, both countries have made it impossible for their nationals whose human rights have been violated by state actors to seek legal redress in the court.

“On its own part, the government of Nigeria has not gone beyond the regular condemnation of the brutal killings. Up till now, the government has not deemed it fit to take bold diplomatic measures to guarantee the security of the life and property of every Nigerian citizen living in South Africa.

“However, the lackadaisical attitude of the Nigerian government to the brutalisation of Nigerian immigrants in South Africa is not surprising in view of the impotence of the State to curb the incessant killing of innocent citizens at home by terrorists, herders, armed robbers, kidnappers and other bandits.”

The senior advocate added that to stop the extrajudicial killings, government must “pressurise” the South African government to bring all culprits to book forthwith and compensate victims.”

Falana also urged the current administration to stop “exposing Nigeria to ridicule” by making the declaration to facilitate access to the African court without further delay.

“We are therefore compelled to call on the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights to conduct an enquiry into the killings of African immigrants in South Africa and make appropriate recommendations to the African Union,” he added.

But the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had said that Nigerians were not deliberately being targeted to be killed in his country, saying that the attacks come as a result of criminal activity among his people.

Ramaphosa also stated that the attacks are not only against Nigerians and that South Africans do not have any form of negative disposition or hatred towards Nigerians

The South African President gave the explanation while responding to questions from journalists at the just concluded Afrexim Bank’s 25th Anniversary and annual general meeting held in Abuja.

He said that xenophobic attacks have been going on in South Africa for over a decade with many Nigerians caught in the attacks.

However, he said his government was focusing on the issue from a criminal element point of view.

He said, “I will like to say here and now that, that has been as a result of criminal activity among our own people which we are focusing on from a criminal element point of view.

“I want to state here and now that South Africans do not have any form of negative disposition or hatred towards Nigerians. And in the main, Nigerians in South Africa and a number of places in our country live side by side, they cooperate very well and some are in the corporate structures of our various companies and some are traders and some are into a number of things.

“So, I want to dispel this notion that when a Nigerian loses his or her life in South Africa, it is as a result of an intentional action by South Africans against Nigerians. That is simply not true.”

“Twenty-seven per cent of South Africans are unemployed which amounts to about nine million and most of these are young people. Poverty is still all pervasive in South Africa and this emanates from our very sad history of apartheid misrule.

“There is still inequality in South Africa, a few people are extremely rich and majority of our people are very poor and all these factors and other social factors have contributed to the high levels of crime.

And criminality is something like I said that we are focusing on, doing everything to bring it down.

But Ramaphosa said his government had been reducing crime in the country and is working on a concerted basis to ensure that crime goes down.

The South African president added that while a great number of South Africans are involved in criminality, many other foreigners, some of whom are Nigerians are also involved.

He said, “These are acts of criminality and I want to end by saying that, when we were involved in our struggle, we said that the South Africa that we are fighting for is the South Africa which will regard everyone who lives in South Africa on the basis of equality, respect for human right.

“And we said that South Africa belongs to all the people who live in it. So, the Nigerians who are in South Africa are also part of our community.