Xenophobia: Presidency Faults S.A Envoy, Insists Nigerians Were Targeted

The Presidency has insisted that contrary to the claims of the
South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Monroe,
foreigners, particularly Nigerians, were targeted in the recent
attacks in South Africa.

Mr Munroe had stated on Tuesday during a media briefing with
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, that the attacks in South
Africa are not xenophobic neither are they targeted at
Nigerians.

According to him, they were only ‘sporadic acts of
violence’.

He also stated that businesses belonging to other South Africans
were equally affected in the violence.

However, addressing the issue on Channels TV’s Politics Today,
Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and
Publicity, Femi Adesina, disagreed with the comments, stating that
the attacks were not sporadic.

“I disagree with the South African ambassador who says it is
sporadic attacks…it’s not. If it was sporadic attacks, why were
South Africans not attacked?

“It was targeted at foreigners, Nigerians particularly,” he
said.

Adesina further stated that it was clear that the attacks did
not involve only Nigerians against Nigerians as earlier claimed by
the South African President.

“President Ramaphosa was here some months back and we clearly
heard him when he said not all the violence was between South
African against Nigerians that most of the times, it was Nigerians
against Nigerians.

“But what has happened these past few days has shown that this
is not Nigerians against Nigerians.

“This is clearly South African against Nigerians and this has
shown us that there is xenophobia,” he said.

Mr Adesina, however, stated that the Federal Government would
continue to demand the protection of Nigerians, a failure of which
“stronger measures” will be taken.

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