Xenophobic attacks:FG recalls envoy to S’Africa, boycotts WEF

.Issues travel warning to Nigerians on risk areas .Police averts looting of Shoprite, MTN by irate youth .Amnesty Inter’l blames S’Africa Govt

Andrew Orolua, Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja, Alade Tasma, Lagos, Isaac Job, Uyo & Val Okara, Owerri

As the diplomatic row over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa deepened, the Muhammadu Buhari administration on Wednesday recalled Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Kabiru Bala.

The government has also pulled out of the World Economic Summit holding in Cape Town to show its displeasure over the handling of the murderous attacks on Nigerians and their properties by South African mobs.

Nigeria has also demanded for full compensation to be paid to families of those who died in the attacks and for the loss property destroyed in the attacks.

Apart from Nigeria, other African nations that have boycotted the World Economic Forum on Africa billed for Cape Town, South Africa, from September 4-6 over the xenophobic attacks include Malawi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo was to represent Nigeria at the forum before the boycott.

The boycott of the global conference is the outcome of meeting held by President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama on Wednesday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, over the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Foreign Affairs minister at a joint news briefing with the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, insisted that “in the first place, we must address the issue of compensation. There has to be accountability and there has to be responsibility for compensating all those Nigerians that have suffered losses, and we are going to absolutely push forward.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has advised Nigerians against travelling to high risk and volatile areas of some countries including South Africa until the current situation of xenophobic attacks are brought under control.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave the advice in a statement issued in Abuja through its spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye.

Condemning the deadly attacks in South Africa, the ministry assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is committed to protecting lives and properties of Nigerians living in South Africa and that it would ensure that definite measures are put in place to avoid a recurrence of such attacks on Nigerians.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria totally condemns the renewed attacks on foreign nationals and their businesses in South Africa which has led to the loss of lives and properties worth millions of naira.

“The government of Nigeria is engaging the relevant South African authorities via the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and consulate general in Johannesburg.

“And the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja will ensure that definite measures are put in place to curtail the unfortunate attacks. The Federal Government commends the arrest of some perpetrators of the dastardly act by the South African police and calls for their timely prosecution to serve as deterrence to others.

“However, due to the tension created by the attacks, the government of Nigeria wishes to advice Nigerians to avoid travelling to high risk and volatile areas until the situation is brought under control,” the ministry stated.

Before the recall of the Nigerian envoy to South Africa, the President concerned about the situation, had instructed the foreign affairs minister to summon the South African High commissioner to Nigeria to get briefs on the situation.

Following a closed door meeting between Onyeama and the acting High Commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, the minister disclosed that Nigeria has made concrete proposals to the South African government.

The minister said that the proposal which calls for urgent implementation by the South African government would bring an end to a recurrence of attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Reacting to the xenophobic violence in South Africa, the Amnesty International has blamed the ongoing and escalating attacks on foreigners in South African on years of impunity and failure in the criminal justice system.

Executive Director of Amnesty International South Africa, Shenilla Mohamed said on Wednesday that the ongoing and escalating attacks against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, and looting of foreign owned shops in South Africa, is a direct consequence of years of impunity.

It is also “failures in the criminal justice system that have left this vulnerable group exposed and unprotected,” Amnesty International said.
According to Amnesty International, five people have been confirmed dead as violence between locals and foreigners continues to escalate in Johannesburg and other parts of the country.

“South African authorities cannot say that they didn’t see this rampant violence coming. For many years refugees, asylum seekers and migrants have been targeted for who they are and what they look like.

“They have also served as convenient scapegoats for unscrupulous politicians who have pushed the insidious narrative that foreign nationals have stolen jobs and are to blame for everything that is going wrong in the country,” said Shenilla Mohamed.

He accused the South African government of failing to take concrete steps to halt previous attacks and even punish the perpetrators.

Despite of the government’s action, Wednesday witnessed clashes between irate Nigerian youths and the police that tried to prevent the youths from attacking South African businesses located in cities throughout the country.

Police on Wednesday for hours battled youths who had blocked the Umaru Yar’Adua Expressway and had attempted to attack the Shoprite Mall located near Lugbe, an Abuja suburb.

The police fired teargas to disperse the youths who were making bonfires on the busy highway and throwing stones and other missiles in order to prevent motorists and commuters from accessing the city centre.

To ensure the situation didn’t deteriorate further, the FCT Police Commissioner, Bala Ciroma was forced to deploy Special Forces to the area to forestall any reprisal attacks.

In response, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello appealed to residents, especially students and youths not to carry out retaliatory attacks on South African nationals and business interests in the FCT.

In his appeal which was contained in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, the minister said the Federal Government is already exploiting diplomatic channels to address the vexatious issue and appealed that residents should allow those efforts to succeed.

Malam Bello further informed residents that those South African business interests in the FCT are in partnership with Nigerian investors and are contributing to the economic development of the territory.

“Attacking or vandalising them will ultimately have negative economic consequences for the Nigerian economy and employees of those organisations,” he said.

Similarly, normal business activities were briefly disrupted at the Kwara Mall on Wednesday before the police took over the edifice to prevent a reprisal attack on presumed businesses owned by South Africans.

Shop owners at the mall were told to close their shops latest 8pm to prevent hoodlums from looting the mall. A shop owner, who preferred anonymity, said that the low presence of police at the facility would not scare customers away.

He said Nigerians protest was supposed to be against the government and its lack of decisive action not against businesses that benefit the people.

In Enugu, the state police command had to beef up security in the state over possible reprisal attacks by residents of Enugu and its environs on South African businesses.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said in Enugu that the command has increased patrol in the state especially within Enugu metropolis and that the command has also deployed more policemen to locations where South African owned businesses exist in the state.

A noticeable increase of police personnel and other covert security personnel deployed to Shoprite Mall along Enugu-Abakaliki Road; MTN office in Zik Avenue and Multi-Choice office along Ogui Road among others were noticed.

However, irate youths on Wednesday afternoon attacked the MTN office in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

The attackers forced their way through the busy MTN shop along Ikot Ekpene Road at about 2:30 pm destroying glass doors and windows.

A sales girl at the vandalised shop told The Daily Times that the hoodlums carried dangerous weapons and scared customers who were on queue for various transactions.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Akwa Ibom State, Odiko MacDon, did not respond to calls and text message from our correspondent in Akwa Ibom State.

The same scenario played out in Owerri, the Imo State capital, as a combined team of security comprising the police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) saved the Shoprite outlet in Owerri from being set ablaze by an angry mob on Wednesday.

The security agents, who were combat ready numbering over 70, arrived at the Shoprite complex along Egbu Road and dispersed the youths before they could set the outlet ablaze.

A visit to the Owerri Mall that houses Shoprite on Wednesday by our correspondent, showed heavy presence of security operatives at the entrance gate of Shoprite and dozens of stern looking policemen.