Mobs have attacked Nigerians living in the Johannesburg and Pretoria area of South Africa, looting and causing damage to their bodies as well as business interests.
25 shops were reported to have been looted and damaged by the mobs. President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, said the attacks began last week in Johannesburg and spread to Pretoria this week.
Anyene said taxi operators were behind the attacks in Pretoria whilst mobs of unknown attackers carried out the Johannesburg attacks.
One of the ten hospitalized Nigerians is said to still be in a coma and has been visited by officials of the Union and the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa.
The mob is said to have carried out the attacks under the guise that Nigerians are supplying drugs in the community.
“Officials of Nigerian mission in South Africa and Union officers went round today to assess the extent of damage done to business centres and shops owned by Nigerians.
“In Pretoria, 25 shops belonging to Nigerians were attacked and looted by the gang. 10 Nigerians are now receiving treatment in some hospitals while one of them is still in coma,’’ he said.
“We have reported the incident to the police in the central business district of Pretoria, where the bulk of the attacks took place.
“The South African police have made entry on our report and pledged to investigate the attacks.‘’ We have also appealed to our people (Nigerians) to be calm and law abiding because the Union and the Nigerian mission were handling the situation.
“As we speak, we have not recorded any attack today, April 4, and everywhere is calm,’’ Anyene said.