Human rights activist and presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has rejected calls against a coming concert in Lagos to be hosted by South African Grammy Awards winning singer, Tyla.

Some Nigerians have been expressed displeasure after the singer listed Lagos as part of the cities to tour, following the release of her new album, A-Pop.

According to comments on social media, their reason is because of the xenophobic attacks suffered by Nigerian nationals at the hands of South Africans.

Since the March and March protest by South Africans against black foreigners, hundreds of Nigerians have been evacuated by the Federal Government.

The attacks and loss of properties forced reactions from many Nigerians, including Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, who described how a Nigerian was killed as a result of xenophobia.

He shared on X, “I just watched a secretly recorded video of a Nigerian national being beaten to death by members of the South African police force in his home and I am mortified. The video is online.

“I listened to the young man’s screams as they put a plastic bag over his head and tortured him and I was badly shaken.

“The vilification, persecution, targeting, extra-judicial killing, racial stereotyping and murder of Nigerians in South Africa is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“Neither will we continue to be complicit in these crimes against our nationals by remaining silent in the face of them.

“That is the new order and I made my position clear on this at our meeting with the South African Foreign Minister yesterday. The hate needs to stop.”

Despite calls for calm by the Nigerian government, youths on social media are seeking a way to get back at South Africa for the treatment meted out to Nigerians. Tyla’s scheduled concert seems like the perfected way to send a message to South Africa concerning the treatment of foreigners.

However, Sowore is of the opinion that Nigerians should direct their anger at their real enemies, “the leaders like @officialabat along its @OfficialAPCNg party who destroyed our country, reduced our people to second-class citizens across Africa and the rest of the world and the irresponsible South African leaders like @CyrilRamaphosa
whose failures helped create the conditions for xenophobic violence.

“No one should hold a talented musician like @Tyllaaaaaaa vicariously liable for the crimes of xenophobia. Artistes are not responsible for the failures of politicians except where there is ample evidence they’re enablers.

“Tyla’s Lagos concert must go on. #RevolurionNOW.”