from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – THE Nigeria Police Force has warned locals against targeting South African nationals and interests in retaliation for xenophobic attacks in the latter country.
The warnings come amid growing anger in Nigeria over the ongoing violence against foreign nationals in the Southern African country.
Some sections of the Nigerian community are reportedly agitating for retaliation in their country, where South Africa has vast business interests.
This past weekend, Nigerian police responded to possible reprisal attacks on South African nationals, businesses and interests in the West African country.
“While concerns about attacks on Nigerians in South Africa are understandable, the public is strongly advised not to take the law into their own hands,” Anthony Okon Placid, police spokesperson, said.
“Reprisal attacks, violence, intimidation, destruction of property, hate speech, or any conduct that threatens public peace and national security is unlawful and will not be tolerated,” he warned.
Placid assured that Nigeria remained a nation governed by the rule of law, thus all people lawfully residing within the country, irrespective of nationality, were entitled to protection under the law.
“Consequently, any attempt to target South African nationals, diplomatic facilities, businesses or other lawful interests within Nigeria will be treated as a criminal act and dealt with in accordance with extant laws.”
Police and relevant agencies are on high alert.
On May 18, the Joint Intelligence Board Meeting, chaired by the National Security Adviser and comprising security and intelligence agencies, conducted a comprehensive review to assess security implications and determine necessary response measures.
Placid added that the police force, in collaboration with other security and intelligence agencies, had subsequently implemented security measures and increased surveillance around critical national assets, foreign missions and other key locations.
“Adequate deployments have been made to prevent any breakdown of law and order,” he assured.
The federal government of President Bola Tinubu is also engaging relevant authorities and stakeholders through diplomatic, intelligence and security channels to resolve the situation peacefully and protect the interests of Nigerians at home and abroad, the police spokesperson added.
The Nigeria Police Force has urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified, inflammatory or inciting information, especially on social media, as this could escalate tensions, undermine public order and hinder diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation.
Over the years, South African companies have made significant foreign direct investments in Nigeria’s telecommunications, financial services, retail, media and entertainment, hospitality as well as manufacturing sectors.
There are at least 120 South African companies actively operating or doing business across various industries in Nigeria, according to the Nigeria-South Africa Business Chamber, established in 2005.
Protests in Nigeria have previously escalated into the looting and vandalism of South African-owned businesses in response to waves of xenophobic violence, particularly in 2019.
Ties between Nigeria and South Africa have long been intense in politics and the economy, with both being influential players in those fields, but rivalry has also recently spilled into sports and entertainment.
Now, relations between South Africa and another West African country, Ghana, have soured over the vigilantism in the former.
South African mining giant Gold Fields reportedly stands to lose its operations in Ghana due to the government’s refusal to automatically renew its licences.
Some local lawmakers and business groups have openly argued that if Ghanaian citizens were being forced out of South Africa, corporations from that country should no longer enjoy automatic, lucrative rights to Ghana’s mineral wealth.
– CAJ News