South Africa Orders Nigerians, Other Foreign Nationals To Vacate In Hours

According to a report made available by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), South Africa has given an order to foreign nationals, Nigerians inclusive to take their leave within stipulated hours.

The order was coming after an ugly incident which had a Nigerian man engaged in a fight with a South African police officer.

The order was made available to newsmen on Thursday morning in Lagos, by the president of Nigeria Union in South Africa, Adetola Olubajo, who stated that Nigerians and other foreign nationals resident South Africa’s Keimoes and Upington areas of Northern Cape Province should vacate the country in the next 12 hours, starting from Thursday.

Mr Olubajo said the Nigerian man who was confirmed to be an indigene of Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, allegedly stabbed to death the police officer, Nico Visagie, during a disagreement at 5 a.m.

“The details of the disagreement were still not very clear as the major witness was also stabbed multiple times and was still in critical condition at the hospital,” said Olubajo.

“After the horrific incident, the community members of Keimoes and environs went on rampage burning and destroying properties belonging to foreign nationals, Nigerians in particular. These attacks spread to Upington and Nigerians and other foreign nationals were also expelled from Upington.”

“Prompt Police intervention this morning brought about calm but the situation is still tensed. Some locals were arrested by the police for public disturbance and malicious damage to properties. They appeared in a magistrates’ court this morning for bail hearing,’’ he said.

He added, “We commend the swift intervention of the members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the arrest of the suspect is a welcome development. We hope the police will continue to maintain law and order in the area,’’

Naija News recalls that a 24-year-old South African policeman, Austin Reynold, who killed a Nigerian man Ebuka Okoli was sentenced to 30 years in jail last December.

President of Nigerian Citizens in South Africa, NICASA, Mr Ben Okoli, revealed that the police officer was sentenced to “25 years for the murder and two years each for two counts of armed robbery and another three years for robbery with aggravated circumstances.