Youths storm Lagos Assembly to protest against ‘gruesome’ killing of Nigerians

Alade Tasma – Lagos

Some youths Tuesday evening staged a protest at the entrance of the Lagos State House of Assembly against the killing of Nigerians in South Africa.

One of the leaders of the protest, Ms Allwell Ademola, stated that they came to the Assembly to express their dissatisfaction over the killings of Nigerians in South Africa, imploring the Lagos lawmakers to come to the aid of Nigerians in South Africa by stopping the killings.

While addressing the protesters, the lawmaker representing Somolu Constituency I, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, implored the protesters not to engage in violent protest that would lead to the destruction of properties owned by South Africans in Nigeria.

Olowo stressed “We have thousands of Nigerians working in DSTV, MTN and some other South Africa companies, so if you destroy their property, it will surely affect the livelihoods of these Nigerians working for them. Let us follow due process in resolving this issue because we cannot use violence to resolve violence.

“We will want you to come with a written letter tomorrow (Wednesday) which should be addressed to the Speaker of the House of Assembly. Don’t engage in violence. Address this issue intellectually,” said Olowo

Also, the lawmaker representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency I, Hon.Temitope Adewale, appealed to the protesters not to take laws into their hands, promising that the House would take urgent steps on the issue.

It would be recalled that violence gathered momentum two days ago when a protest march against drug dealing by local residents at the centre of Johannesburg was blamed on immigrants and later degenerated into violence, with shops being attacked and looted.

The violence which thereafter spread to the nearby city of Pretoria where mobs attacked immigrant traders, workers and shopkeepers on Monday, was widely condemned by both the Nigeria and South African government.