Nigerians living in South Africa have raised fresh alarm over what they describe as escalating xenophobic violence, harassment, and discrimination targeting African migrants, calling on the Federal Government and continental leaders to urgently step in before the situation worsens.
The Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA), through its President, Frank Onyekwelu, said the reported cases of intimidation, alleged police brutality, and killings of foreign nationals have become increasingly frequent and deeply disturbing.
Onyekwelu, in a statement issued on Monday, warned that the continued attacks were being normalised in parts of South African society through inflammatory political rhetoric and what he described as discriminatory enforcement practices by some security agents.
He said the development poses a direct threat not only to Nigerians but also to the broader ideals of African unity and solidarity.
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“We are alarmed by the increasing normalisation of hostility, manifested through inflammatory rhetorics by certain political actors, unlawful intimidation, and discriminatory enforcement practices by some law enforcement personnel,” he said.
According to him, the situation requires urgent diplomatic engagement at the highest level, insisting that silence or delayed response from Nigerian authorities could embolden further attacks and reinforce the perception that citizens abroad are not adequately protected.
NICASA called on President Bola Tinubu, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to intervene decisively and engage South African authorities on the safety of Nigerians and other Africans living in the country.
Onyekwelu also pushed for the creation of a transparent reporting mechanism to document cases of abuse and ensure accountability for perpetrators, including security officials allegedly involved in misconduct.
He stressed that Nigerians in South Africa are largely law-abiding and economically productive, rejecting what he called “collective criminalisation” of migrants.
“The reckless stereotyping and collective criminalisation of our people must stop,” he said.
While commending Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in South Africa for its efforts, NICASA insisted that more institutional backing is needed to address the rising tensions.
The group further urged African leaders under the African Union framework to take coordinated action against xenophobia and what it called growing intra-African hostility.
“Africa cannot rise while Africans are divided against themselves,” Onyekwelu added, warning that persistent xenophobic attacks undermine the continent’s integration agenda and shared prosperity goals.
