The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Saturday
shut down South Africa’s grocery chain, Shoprite at Ota in Ogun State.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Ota
reports that the students picketed the shopping mall to protest what they
described as unrestrained xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Scores of young Nigerians residing in South Africa
have been brought home in body bags in recent years, having been killed in
apparent xenophobic attacks in the former apartheid nation.
Scores of young Nigerians residing in South Africa have been
brought home in body bags in recent years, having been killed in apparent
xenophobic attacks in the former apartheid nation.
The
Shoprite mall was shut down around 11:10 a.m. in the presence of police
officers with shoppers hurriedly ordered out of the mall.
The
students carried placards with inscriptions: “South Africans must go. Enough of
the killing of our brothers, sisters and relatives in South Africa. You can’t
continue to kill our people and still feed fat on us.’’
Speaking
with reporters, the national public relations officer of NANS, Azeez Adeyemi,
said that “NANS’ leadership under its president, Danielson Bamidele, have
resolved to champion the struggle of putting sense back into lawless South
Africans.
“It
seems the government of South Africa derives pleasure from the senseless
killings and sees the continuous xenophobic attacks on Nigerians residents in
South Africa as a norm.
“NANS’
struggle against xenophobia has moved beyond ordinary street protests.
“Our target now is to mobilise Nigerian
students and Nigerians towards truncating the smooth running of South African
businesses in Nigeria.
“We
shall resume here at Shoprite, Stanbic IBTC, MTN and Multichoice on August 14
for a total shut down.
“This
is a struggle that will continue until victory of purpose is achieved,” Mr
Adeyemi said.
On
August 5, students shutdown MTN and Stanbic IBTC Bank offices in Abeokuta to
voice their anger of the relentless killing of Nigerians in South African
cities.
Up
to 800,000 Nigerians, mainly young people reside in South Africa, according to
unofficial estimates.
No
fewer than 128 Nigerians have been killed in the country since 2016, many of
them murdered by South African policemen.
However,
some of the Nigerians were reportedly killed by their fellow Nigerians in gang
violence, linked to hard drug peddling. (NAN)
No comments:
Post a Comment