Nigeria students give 48 hrs ultimatum to South Africans to vacate from Nigeria

The umbrella body of students in Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has mandated all South African companies in Nigeria to relocate from Nigeria within 48 hours over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa. The ultimatum was given by the students at a peaceful demonstration at some South African companies in Abuja on Thursday. The students carried a banner during the march, which read: ‘’NANS against Xenophobic Attacks on Nigerians.’’ The security men were on ground to ensure law and order throughout the march.

The President of NANS, Mr Kadiri Aruna, said in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at DSTV office, a South African company, in Wuse 2, Abuja, that Nigerian students had resolved to condemn the attacks. “We are saying that enough is enough as South Africans have openly attacked and bullied Nigerians.’’ He said that the protest would also serve as a warning to other countries trying to underrate Nigerians and that if is nothing was done after 48 hours, messages would be sent to students in all university campuses to bring down MTN masts all over the country. Aruna said that DSTV and Shoprite would also be affected as the union had put adequate strategies in place to make the action effective.

“All the South African business empires in Nigeria and their collaborators in Nigeria will be affected. I don’t want to say we will be barbaric but we will not be lawful in our actions, we will do it and face the consequences, enough of this rubbish,’’ he said. He stressed that it was particularly insulting for poor treatment to be meted to Nigerians given the role Nigeria played in ending the apartheid regime in South Africa. The union president said that the situation was inhuman and for this reason all reasonable Nigerians must react. Aruna mentioned that the Federal Government should not wait till the dying minute before evacuating Nigerians from South Africa.

Aruna enjoined the government to not only condemn the attacks but take a firm stand by summoning South Africa’s high commissioner and if possible cut diplomatic ties with that country. “Government should take extra-diplomatic measures in dealing with the latest deadly assaults because if nothing drastic is done it will become a regular occurrence. “This is the time to place South Africa where it belongs,’’ he said. He said that the last time the xenophobic attack happened nothing was done, no action was taken and no arrest was made and that was why South Africans repeated the attacks. Aruna said it was so unfortunate that during the attacks the South African Government refused to take up its responsibility of securing Nigerians and their properties. “The government of South Africa is criminally quiet and they say silence is consent, and their police are folding their hands while they are killing Nigerians, this is conspiracy, enough is enough,’’ he said. He said the peaceful rally would continue and spread across the country.

Over 50 police and, DSS operatives surrounded the DSTV premises and along the street making it impossible for newsmen to contact any DSTV officials for comments.