South Africans not responsible for death of Nigerians – Official

South Africans are not responsible for the deaths of Nigerians in the country a senior official of South Africa’s High Commission in Nigeria said on Sunday.

The counselor in charge of political Affair at the South African High Commission in Abuja Anna-Maria Jojozi said such claims were unwarranted.

“I wish to express my department’s concern regarding statements said to emanate from student organisation in Nigeria, calling for expulsion of South Africans and protests at South African owned businesses,” Jojozi said.

“The protests are said to be in response to alleged killings of Nigerians by South Africans; as you are aware these allegations are devoid of truth, reckless and unwarranted,” Jojozi.

The National Association of Nigerian Students had said they can no longer keep quiet while South Africans kill Nigerians in their country as they call for the expulsion of South African businesses from Nigeria.

The protest which was slated to hold in all the 36 states in Nigeria followed the killings of no fewer than 118 Nigerians in xenophobic attacks in South Africa over the years.

On July 15, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, also condemned the continuous killings of Nigerians in South Africa, warning that the government will no longer tolerate further attacks on its citizens.

“I believe we have faced enough, we will no longer take it anymore,” Lawan said when he hosted the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe in Abuja in July.

“We want to write the names of Nigerians killed, and the South African parliament must act fast to put a stop to this menace.”

Jojozi, however, insisted that xenophobic allegations and call for the expulsion of South African businesses from Nigeria does not reflect the strong bilateral relations between the two countries.

She said that the killings allegations statement is the “most unfortunate” and “devoid of truth” as they do not reflect the strong relations that exist between the two countries.