Vice-President Kashim Shettima has warned that the Nigerian government and its people will no longer tolerate the dehumanisation or mistreatment of Nigerian citizens by any government.
Shettima reiterated Nigeria’s strong opposition to xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa, insisting that the country would not remain silent when the safety and dignity of its citizens are threatened.
The Vice-President spoke on Monday shortly before departing Luanda, Angola, for Nigeria after attending the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), where he represented President Bola Tinubu.
Shettima condemned the reported attacks against Nigerians in South Africa but said Nigeria remained committed to resolving its concerns with the South African government through dialogue and peaceful engagement.
“The government and people of Nigeria will no longer countenance a situation whereby our people are dehumanised and put into very, very unacceptable situations.”
He recalled Nigeria’s role in supporting the liberation struggles of countries in southern Africa, saying it was painful to see Nigerians being subjected to humiliation in South Africa.
“We were part of the struggle for the liberation of our brothers and sisters in southern Africa, and we feel personally pained that our people have been picked up for humiliation.”
Despite the strong warning, Shettima said Nigeria did not want to escalate tensions with South Africa.
He said both countries should continue engaging through what he described as “very robust conversations” to resolve the issues.
“We don’t want to overheat the polity, but once in a while you have to make it very clear, vehemently clear, that certain situations are unacceptable, and we’ll work things out.”
The Vice-President also urged South African authorities to protect lives and uphold human dignity while enforcing the country’s immigration laws.
The Federal Government had previously reported South Africa to the African Union over alleged xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals in the country.
