The federal government again on Thursday appealed to Nigerians to remain calm as it is taking concrete measures to ensure that the issues surrounding the xenophobic attacks on citizens in South Africa are adequately addressed.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed made the passionate appeal on behalf of government as he addressed a press conference on the matter in Abuja.
Mohammed warned that reprisal attacks targeted at South African businesses in Nigeria has been counter-productive and that citizens are already counting losses on account of the retaliatory attacks.
Reiterating several measures already taken by the government on the matter, the minister recalled that the President Muhammadu Buhari has dispatched a Special Envoy to convey to his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, his concerns and also interact with his South African counterpart on the situation.
Also, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, had also summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria for brief on the situation; express Nigeria’s displeasure over the treatment of her citizens; and secure assurance of the safety of their lives and property.
Nigeria also yesterday recalled its High Commissioner to South Africa for consultations and boycotted the World Economic Forum on Africa currently going on in South Africa.
“And plans are on to evacuate Nigerians who are willing to return home from South Africa,” the minister emphasized, noting “a number of other measures are also being considered by the government to keep Nigerians in South Africa safe.”
But he specifically noted that “the purpose of press conference was to reiterate the appeal to Nigerians, who are justifiably angered by the attacks on their compatriots in South Africa, not to resort to self help by carrying out reprisal attacks against South African businesses in Nigeria.
He also alerted Nigerians that “some unscrupulous people are engaging in disinformation to inflame passion by using fake news and videos of non-related attacks; to very strongly warn the naysayers and hoodlums who might want to capitalise on the widespread disenchantment and anger of Nigerians over the attacks in South Africa to foment mayhem, and to appeal to Nigerians, especially opinion leaders, not to allow raw emotions to guide their response to the attacks.
He stressed that the reports of the attacks on South African businesses in Nigeria which have dominated the social and traditional media in the past two days, are quite disturbing and depressing.
“Obviously, hoodlums have hijacked the peaceful protests by some Nigerians to loot shops at Shoprite and other Malls in some locations across the country,” the minister lamented.
He also observed that hoodlums have also targetted foreigners under the guise of protesting against the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
“This is saddening,” the minister stressed, assuring both citizens and foreigners of security measures to protect the lives and property.
“The security agencies have been put on high alert, and looters will be arrested and made to face justice.”
He also warned on the video clips being circulated on the social media, purportedly showing how Nigerians are being killed in South Africa. The Minister said some of those videos have been analyzed and concluded as fake.
“Those who are circulating these videos should immediately desist from doing so,” Mohammed warned. Apart from inflaming passion, the videos are also complicating the efforts of the government to calm frayed nerves at home in the wake of the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, he added.
The National Campaign Against Fake News launched earlier is much more needed now.
He also appealed to Nigeria’s opinion leaders and celebrities to be guarded in their utterances and comments on the xenophobic attacks and the reactions from Nigerians.
“The Federal Government will leave no stone unturned to protect Nigerian citizens anywhere around the world, including South Africa where they have been subjected to repeated xenophobic attacks, with terrible consequences that include loss of lives and property,” he surged.
“We strongly warn hoodlums who may wish to hide under the peaceful protests by Nigerians to loot, maim and kill that the security agencies will apprehend and bring them to justice. And to opinion leaders, we ask that they be guarded in their comments.”
Onyinye Nwachukwu, Abuja
