The Federal Government has indicated that Nigeria may consider retaliatory measures against South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African migrants in the country.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this while speaking with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.
The minister said the government was deeply concerned about the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa and noted that possible punitive actions against South African interests in Nigeria were being considered at the highest levels of government.
According to her, any decision on retaliatory measures would require the involvement of the National Assembly and other relevant authorities.
“Well, that is a situation that we are considering. This is up to our legislature. This is a decision that has to be taken at the highest level of government. But it’s not off the table,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed disappointment over what she described as the continued targeting of black migrants despite Nigeria’s historical support for South Africa during its anti-apartheid struggle.
She recalled that Nigeria committed significant financial and material resources to support South Africa’s quest for freedom, including educational opportunities for South African students and widespread solidarity campaigns by Nigerians.
“Nigeria is not happy because Nigeria has sacrificed much for the South African struggle for independence. Nigeria sacrificed quite a lot, committed funds, committed resources to aid South Africa,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the minister said plans to evacuate Nigerians willing to return home from South Africa were still being finalised.
She explained that the repatriation exercise, initially scheduled to commence on Monday, was delayed due to documentation and screening procedures being conducted in collaboration with South African authorities.
The screening of more than 1,000 Nigerian citizens in South Africa began last Thursday and was expected to be concluded before the commencement of evacuation flights.
The Federal Government said it remains committed to ensuring the safe return of affected Nigerians while continuing diplomatic engagements with South African authorities over the situation.
