Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has condemned the recent attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa, Igbere TV reports.
Igbere TV had previously reported that properties worth millions of naira, belonging to Nigerians, were set ablaze with many others looted by South Africans.
President of the Nigeria Union in South Africa, Adetola Olubajo, said the attacks began on Sunday morning in Jeppestown area of Johannesburg.
Mr Olubajo said in a statement on Monday that the mob “looted several shops owned by foreign nationals”, adding, ”but the police later dispersed the mob and made some arrest.”
But reacting, Kalu, a two-time governor of Abia, said the arrest was not enough, calling on Nigerians to stand firm and retaliate rather than waiting on South African to fish out the perpetrators.
In a statement sent to Igbere TV on Tuesday from his media office, the senator said “the gruesome killings, looting, arson of properties belonging to Nigerians and attack of Nigerian Embassy in South Africa is ill-conceived, disheartening and wicked”.
“How can any sensible
person attack and burn a fellow human being just because he or she has a feeling to do so ? Those mindless criminals who attacked and prevented law abiding Nigerians to freely conduct their businesses must be made to pay for their crimes. Arresting them is not enough”, he added.
Kalu questioned the essence of the renewed attack on Nigerians, adding that South Africans in Nigeria have always lived and conducted their businesses in peace.
According to him, “if the South African government do not do more to protect the lives of Nigerians, there should be no reason to allow them to operate freely in Nigeria. All their enterprises deserve to be closed down including MTN, DSTV, Shoprite among others.
“In the spirit of brotherhood, we have supported them. Our doors have always been opened but it’s time we retaliate by shutting our doors.”
Kalu while commending President Muhammadu Buhari for despatching a special envoy to South Africa, urged the federal government to hasten its intervention and institute stiffer measures against South Africa over the endless attacks.
The chief whip said the federal government should no long be patient on invoking the United Nation’s law on hate and all forms of xenophobic attacks against South Africa, “so as to make its government take the issue seriously.”
