Xenophobic Attacks: Protesters Shutdown MTN Nigeria Office

By Dipo Olowookere

Business activities at the Kaduna office of MTN Nigeria Plc were disrupted on Thursday by some students under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who are kicking against the killing of Nigerians in South Africa.

They accused the South African government of not doing enough to protect Nigerians living and working in the former apartheid country despite giving their citizens and companies an enabling environment in Nigeria.

The students, through their Director in charge of Travels and Exchange, Mr Dominic Philip, said they were at the Kaduna office of the South African telecommunication firm to register their displeasure over xenophobic attacks and killings of 118 Nigerians in the last two years.

Mr Philip said NANS will no longer align with Nigerian government’s diplomatic approach to the issue, emphasising that this has not yielded any meaningful results.

“Available record has shown that the levels of attacks on Nigerians is on astronomical rise, with the recent killing of Nigerian by South Africans, on July 20 increasing the number to 118 in the last two years.

“Out of this number, 13 were reportedly killed by South African Police in an extra-Judicial manner.

“It appears that the South African government is incapable of bringing their citizens to order and stop the killings, leaving us with no option than to picket South African businesses in Nigeria until the killing is stopped.

“We, therefore, want the South African government to investigate and provide accurate number of Nigerians so far killed and prosecute perpetrators of xenophobic attacks to ensure justice for the victims.

“We equally want the government to generate data of all Nigerians, whose properties were bunt or looted for immediate compensation,” he said at the demonstration ground.

The NANS executive said Nigeria contributed in no small way to the independence of South Africa from white supremacists, but wondered why the country should be repaid this way.

Mr Philip said NANS wants all South African businesses in Nigeria to be closed pending sufficient proof that Nigerians living anywhere in South Africa were safe and allowed to do their businesses freely.