Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Nigerian police have warned against any retaliatory actions targeting South African citizens or businesses following a wave of anti-immigration protests in South Africa.
The police urged Nigerians not to take the law into their own hands after reports of “attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.” No reports of such attacks have been confirmed, but the warning came after a meeting of heads of security and intelligence agencies.
The South African police have not confirmed any attacks on foreigners, despite the government’s condemnation of “criminal acts” directed against foreign nationals.
Tensions in South Africa have escalated in recent weeks following protests demanding stricter measures against illegal immigrants.
Several African countries have advised their citizens to exercise caution, with Ghana recently evacuating hundreds of its nationals, citing security concerns. Elio Giwa, a police spokesperson, stated in a post on platform X: “We understand the pain and anger resulting from recent attacks on Nigerians abroad.” He added: “As an institution dedicated to protecting the lives of Nigerians, we deeply understand these concerns.”
He stated: “However, this is a time for calm and restraint,” adding that violence will not protect Nigerians abroad but will only “lead to further crises.”
In his post, which quoted a statement from the Nigerian police, he said the government is addressing the matter “at the highest levels.” The Nigerian police reported that they have taken additional security measures around diplomatic missions, critical infrastructure, and other sensitive sites.
They stated: “Any attempt to target South African citizens, diplomatic missions, businesses, or any other legitimate interests within Nigeria will be treated as a criminal act.”
Protesters in South Africa have accused illegal immigrants of straining public services and being involved in crime, calling on the government to tighten immigration enforcement measures.
The protests were organized by a group known as “March for Justice,” which claims to demand immigration law reforms and has called for illegal immigrants to leave the country by June 30.
Previous waves of violence driven by xenophobia in South Africa have led to diplomatic tensions and retaliatory attacks in Nigeria, where some South African-owned businesses have been vandalized and looted.
