Nigeria’s Consul General in South Africa, Ambassador Uche Ajulu-Okeke, says eight Nigerians have so far indicated interest in returning home due to xenophobic attacks.
Ambassador Okeke told Channels Television that “the Nigerian mission is already working with them to facilitate their journey back home”.
The Nigerians are presently at the deportation holding facility at Limbola, South Africa.
According to the envoy, leaders of the Nigerian Union in the nine provinces of South Africa in conjunction with the Nigerian mission in South Africa have worked out a Vigilance Defence Mechanism to protect Nigerians.
Ambassador Okeke said that while the attacks had reduced, Nigerians have been, however, advised to be vigilant in spite of the current development.
Meanwhile, a Nigerian envoy in South Africa had earlier ruled out the possibility of immediate evacuation of citizens from the nation.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Musiliu Obanikoro, had earlier assured Nigerians in South Africa that all will be done to restore peace and safety of their lives and property in the country.
The Minister, however, addressed the social challenges that he said were underlying causes to the xenophobic attacks such as poverty and ignorance.
“It is sad that Africans can exert such inhumanity against themselves at this time when growth is needed most in the continent,” he said.
Obanikoro also commended the group of South Africans that protested against the attacks. He said that more of such interventions are needed to reduce and eventually eliminate such xenophobic tendencies.
Eleven persons suspected to have been part of the anti-immigrants’ attacks were arrested on Wednesday by South African authorities.
The South African government has vowed to crack down strongly on the unrest, deploying soldiers to the streets.
