Newspaper review for September 10: FG orders evacuation of Nigerians in South Africa
The headlines of Nigerian mainstream newspapers focus on the ongoing xenophobic attacks, with discussion broadly lengthened to President Muhammadu Buhari's directives for the immediate evacuation of Nigerians living in South Africa.
The Punch reports that minister of foreign affairs, Geoferry Onyeama, has received directives from the presidency to monitor South African government's commitment and efforts in halting the ongoing xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in the country.
The newspaper also reports that presidency also gave clear instruction that Nigerians willing to come back to the country should be evacuated with immediate effect.
It maintains that the decisions were reached after President Muhammadu Buhari received reports from the special envoys he sent to South Africa following reports of killings of Nigerians and destruction of their business by aggrieved South African locals.
Source: UGC
Corroborating Punch on the evacuation directives is The Guardian which reports that President Buhari's order to fly back Nigerians living in South Africa was subject to the report he received from the special envoy he sent to violence-ridden African country.
According to the newspaper, the special envoy, who left Nigeria for Pretoria on September 5 in the wake of the xenophobic attacks, conveyed president's special message of deep concern to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The envoy also urged the South African leader to take strong proactive measures against attacks on citizen of brotherly nations.
Source: UGC
In The Nation, report under the main headline states that President Mhammadu Buhari has called on his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa to take ''visible step'' in dousing the tension generated by the ongoing xenophobic attacks on citizens of Nigeria.
According to the newspaper, President Ramaphosa, upon receiving the Nigerian leader's deep concern, vowed that appropriate measures will be taken. He described the attacks as ''disconcerting and embarrassing.''
Ramaphosa, according to the report, also reaffirmed his stand against criminality and said his government is ''committed to do everything possible to do the rights of every Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country.''
Source: UGC
Coming in through the headline ''South Africans plan ambush for returning Nigerians,'' Vanguard reports that following plan by the Nigerian government to evacuate its citizen, there have been tensions generated by reports of purported plans by South Africa citizens to attack Nigerians.
According to the newspaper, Nigerians have therefore raised alarm that foreigners would be the subject of attack and have been sending messages to their brothers as angry South Africans are reported to be on the look for foreigners in cabs and buses.
The newspaper also noted that 640 Nigerians are willing to come back home, while bodies and agencies like Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), African Union (AU) have condemned the attacks.
Source: UGC
This Day reports xenophobia attacks took a new turn as South Africa insisted that the violence was not xenophobic, and that eighty nine Nigerians were killed contrary to the claim that the number of the casualties are massive.
The newspaper reports that South Africa, however, maintained that its relationship with Nigeria is still intact and strong, calling for both parties to bury their grievance and look for way forward.
Source: UGC
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula who is the South African minister of defence has said that it will be difficult to prevent the attack against foreign national because they were planned by criminals.
There have been reported xenophobic attacks in South Africa particularly against Nigerians. The minister of defence in an interview with eNCA, a local television channel, said South Africa is an angry nation.
Nigerians’ retaliation over Xenophobic attacks by South Africans; right or wrong? - on Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
