Nigeria

Xenophobia: South Africa high commission shuts down offices in Nigeria over retaliatory attacks

Thursday, September 05, 2019 at 11:34 AM by Tunde Ososanya

- The retaliatory attacks on South Africans and their businesses in Nigeria have forced South Africa to shut down its diplomatic mission in Nigeria

- The Abuja and Lagos offices of the diplomatic mission were shut down following the directive of Amb Bobby Monroe

- Moroe, who is South Africa's acting high commissioner, says the diplomatic mission will be closed until the situation improves

South Africa high commission has shut down its Lagos and Abuja offices over retaliatory attacks on South African citizens and businesses by Nigerians.

The Nation reports that the directive was given by the acting high commissioner, Amb Bobby Moroe, who said he directed the mission to suspend all consular activities until the situation improved.

Legit.ng gathers that there have been retaliatory attacks against South Africans and their businesses in Nigeria over xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

According to Monroes, the reported attacks on South Africans in some parts of the country informed the decision to close down the diplomatic mission.

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He said: “I directed that the mission should be closed until the situation improves. We heard that South Africans were being pulled out of vehicles and attacked. We feel unsafe and that is why I directed that the mission should close down until further notice.”

Legit.ng previously reported that the government of President Muhamadu Buhari, on Wednesday, September 4, recalled Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa over the recent xenophobic attacks on Africans living in that country.

A presidential source said: “Nigeria recalls ambassador to South Africa, pulls out of World Economic Summit, demands full compensation."

Also previously reported by Legit.ng was that the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammadu Bello, appealed to residents to shun retaliatory attacks on South Africans and their businesses in the territory over xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Bello said the federal government was making efforts to address the issue, urging residents to allow the efforts to succeed by shunning reprisal attacks.