As part of the efforts to curb xenophobic attacks, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, said Wednesrday that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and South Africa will ensure implementation of the Early Warning Signal mechanisms recently signed between both countries in South Africa.
Speaking against the backdrop of renewed zenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, Dabiri-Erewa said the Consul-General was on top of the situation.
No fewer than four Nigerians were injured in fresh xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in Mpumalanga Province the Rainbow country on Tuesday.
She said: “The Consul-General, Godwin Adama, is currently in Widbank, Mpumalanga, where the crisis happened. He is at a meeting with the highest police authorities there.
“The mission intervened immediately and the situation is currently under control. After this meeting, a meeting with Nigerians along with the South African Police will hold.”
Dabiri-Erewa said further developments at this stage would be taken up at the ministerial level, between the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both countries.
It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had on October 3, led a high powered delegation to South Africa on a two-day state visit on the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians.
A series of agreement and Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, were signed by the two African states to cement the relationship and nip the hostilities in the bud.
Recall that no fewer than 500 Nigerians were evacuated home by the federal government last month, following repeated attacks on Africans, including Nigerians, which led to the death of 12 persons.
Shops and other businesses of Nigerians in that country were also looted and razed by angry South Africans, which culminated in reprisal attacks on South African businesses in some parts of the country.
Such South African business concerns as Shoprite, MTN, DSTV, among others, were attacked in the process, following which at least 83 persons were arrested and are now being prosecuted.
