Xenophobia – The Deputy President of the Senate Ovie Omo-Agege has described the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa as callous, cowardly, inhumane and a dastard act.
Omo-Agege, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yomi Odunuga in Abuja on Wednesday, said that he was appalled by the debasement of humanity as displayed in some video clips of the attacks.
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He, however, said that he was pleased that the Federal Government was taking a tougher stance on what seems to have become a routine by some elements in South Africa.
“The Senate is, without questioning, in support of necessary steps by President Muhammadu Buhari to save Nigerians in South Africa and resolve the unacceptable pattern of extrajudicial killings of our innocent citizens,” he said.
He said that irrespective of the simplistic explanation of the South African authorities, what happened on Monday was a clear case of demeaning xenophobia.
“The strong message that should be sent to the South African government and its people is that the life of every Nigerian matters and Nigeria would no longer tolerate the violence being visited on our people under whatever guise or excuse,” he warned.
Omo-Agege said that those behind the killings must be fetched out and punished while due compensation should be paid to the families of the victims.
Also, condemning the attacks, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Cooperation, Integration in Africa and NEPAD, Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani, called for immediate engagement to stop the killings.
Nnamani, in a separate statement on Wednesday, said that the attacks of burning and ultimately killing of Nigerians in South Africa was unfortunate.