Human Rights activists, Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin on Wednesday said that Nigeria must take a firm stand against the Xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Agbakoba advised the government to summon the South African Ambassador to send a message through him to his country on the need to put an immediate stop to the attacks.
“This is no longer time for diplomacy. We cannot fold our arms while our people are killed in South Africa,’’ he said.
According to him, if after sending a warning through the Ambassador such attacks continue, then Nigeria should take tougher measures.
He said it was disheartening that Nigerians could be put through such ordeal despite the role the nation played during the Apartheid in South Africa.
“As a student then, I contributed my quota to the struggle against apartheid government in South Africa,’’ he said.
In a statement in Lagos, Okei-Odumakin, the President of the Campaign for Democracy (CD) expressed sadness over the South African government’s slow response to the violence.
“We are miffed, however, that these South Africans would decide to visit harm on fellow Africans and in the process violate good brotherliness that is cherished amongst people of African descent.
“We are particularly disturbed by the attacks against Nigerians given the enormous sacrifices Nigeria made in the ant-apartheid struggle in South Africa.
“Apart from monetary and other unquantifiable support to the black Africans under the yoke of apartheid, Nigeria became a comfortable abode for ANC cadres fleeing from the plague of repression.
“Among such South Africans who found home in Nigeria was the former President Thabo Mbeki.
“No one would have imagined that it would not take more than two decades after freedom for these people to turn weapons against Nigerians in spite of all our country did to fight apartheid.
“Our hearts go to all the families that have suffered losses in these senseless attacks,” she said.
