Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned that Nigeria will no longer tolerate the alleged humiliation and mistreatment of its citizens in South Africa.
Shettima issued the warning on Monday while speaking with journalists in Luanda, Angola, shortly before departing for Nigeria after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
The Vice President expressed concern over what he described as recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.
According to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said the Nigerian government and people would not continue to accept situations in which Nigerians were subjected to degrading treatment.
“The government and people of Nigeria will no longer countenance a situation whereby our people are dehumanised and put into very, very unacceptable situations,” Shettima said.
He recalled Nigeria’s contribution to the liberation struggles in Southern Africa, stressing that the country was deeply concerned about the treatment of its citizens in the region.
“We were part of the struggle for the liberation of our brothers and sisters in Southern Africa, and we feel personally pained that our people have been picked up for humiliation,” he said.
Shettima, however, said Nigeria remained committed to resolving the issue through diplomatic engagement rather than confrontation.
“We believe in having very robust conversations with our South African brothers. We don’t want to overheat the polity, but once in a while, you have to make it very clear, vehemently clear, that certain situations are unacceptable, and we’ll work things out,” he stated.
He also urged the South African authorities to ensure that immigration laws were enforced without violating the rights, safety and dignity of Nigerians and other foreign nationals.
The Vice President’s comments came after Nigeria raised concerns over recurring attacks against its citizens in South Africa at the African Union summit.
Representing Tinubu, the Nigerian delegation formally brought the issue before the AU and requested that the matter be included on the agenda of the 40th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government scheduled for January 2027.
Shettima described the recurring incidents as a threat to African unity, solidarity and peaceful coexistence.
The Vice President has since departed Luanda for Nigeria.
