Nigerian Senate on Tuesday weighed the option of expelling South African companies in Nigeria over xenophobic attacks.
Senator Olusola Adeyeye representing Osun Central constituency of Osun State gave the hint during Tuesday’s plenary in a tweet.
This is coming on the heels of the revelation by the Nigerian community in South Africa on Monday said that another shop belonging to a member was looted in the latest xenophobic attack at Jeppestown, Johannesburg.
Mr. Ikechukwu Anyene, President of the Nigeria Union, South Africa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the phone from Pretoria that the shop was looted on Sunday night.
“We have received information that there was an overnight attack on shops belonging to foreigners at Jeppestown, a business district in Johannesburg.
“A shop belonging to a Nigerian was affected.
“The goods in the shop were looted by the attackers. The Nigerian was not hurt during the attack.
“We also learnt that shops belonging to other foreigners were also looted,” he said.
Anyene stated that attempts made to loot another shop belonging to a Nigerian failed as the owner called the police.
He said the value of items lost in the affected shop had not been ascertained while the incident had been reported to the Nigerian Mission and the South African police.
“We have told Nigerians to adopt protective measures to save their businesses and homes.
“The union is in touch with the Nigerian mission and our chapters in the nine provinces of South Africa are also on alert.
“They have been directed to sensitise our people on the situation in the country and to be cautious in all their endeavours,” he said.
The South African police monday said no fewer than 100 people ransacked shops in Johannesburg overnight, in a fresh wave of xenophobic attacks in South African cities, reported Reuters.
“We are following up on leads and we are expecting to make more arrests,” police spokesman Brig. Mathapelo Peters said.
She said she did not know the nationalities of the shopkeepers and the police were waiting for owners to come forward, so that they could open cases of violence and damage to property.
Similar incidents have taken place in Pretoria this month, but the police have been reluctant to characterise the attacks as being directed against foreigners.