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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate has condemned the wave of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa and Ghana, warning that continued violence, intimidation and reprisals could strain diplomatic ties and undermine regional stability if urgent action is not taken.
This followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Aniekan Akpan and co-sponsored by Osita Izunaso, with lawmakers expressing deep concern over what they described as a pattern of hostility in which Nigerians are “increasingly profiled and treated as though being a Nigerian national alone constitutes an offence”.
In its resolutions, the Senate urged the Federal Government to immediately initiate “high-level diplomatic dialogue” with South Africa and Ghana to secure protection for Nigerians and obtain “enforceable assurances against future attacks”, while calling for “a full, transparent, credible and independent investigation into all reported incidents”.
It also insisted that “perpetrators and their sponsors must be identified, arrested, prosecuted and punished”, in addition to calling for the development of a “comprehensive protection framework for Nigerians in the diaspora”, including early warning mechanisms, diaspora displacement coordination centres, strengthened legal and diplomatic support structures, and clear evacuation protocols.
The senators also pressed for “strong regional enforcement and accountability measures within ECOWAS and the African Union to deter xenophobia through diplomatic and legal action that protects African citizens across borders”.
The chamber described the attacks as “barbaric, unlawful and inconsistent with African brotherhood”, raising alarm over what it termed “advocacy of fear, humiliation and psychological trauma”. The lawmakers noted that authorities in South Africa had acknowledged the incidents and pledged to restore order, a development the Senate said “confirms the seriousness and contemporary nature of the incidents”.
The senators maintained that the attacks violate international human rights principles as well as ECOWAS protocols on free movement and the African Union Charter, stressing that such actions undermine guarantees of dignity and protection.
“These attacks offend the conscience of civilised nations,” the Senate stated, adding that “no individual, whether in authority or not, is above the law, and no citizen is beneath its protection.”
The senators outlined the toll of the recurring violence, citing “loss of lives, destruction of businesses built over decades, displacement of families including children and the elderly, severe psychological trauma, and erosion of dignity and security”.
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Despite repeated diplomatic assurances from host countries, the chamber lamented “the lack of accountability, visible deterrence, prosecution of perpetrators, or enduring guarantees for victims”, warning that such gaps “entrench a culture of impunity and embolden further xenophobic violence”.
It further cautioned that failure to act decisively could “trigger retaliatory tensions, diplomatic strains, regional instability, and deterioration of inter-African relations contrary to continental unity”.
Recalling Nigeria’s historical role in the anti-apartheid struggle, Victor Umeh noted that “Nigerian workers, students, civil servants and market women stood at the forefront from the 1960s to the 1990s, sacrificing financial resources and diplomatic goodwill for the liberation and dignity of South Africans”.
During the debate, Adams Oshiomhole canvassed a tougher response, warning of economic consequences if attacks persist. “By the time we withdraw MTN licence, we revoke DStv licence, those workers from South Africa will have good jobs to do. Let South Africa continue with their jobs. Then when we have this balance of madness, I believe there will be sanity,” he said, urging colleagues not to turn the chamber into “a place of mourning and crying and lamenting”, but to “bite in a manner that they will be the one begging”.
However, Adamu Aliero urged caution, stressing the need for diplomacy. “I rise to contribute to this very important debate. First and foremost, in international relations there is what we call rule of reciprocity. Nigeria has done a lot for South Africa and we demand a lot also from South Africa by making sure that Nigerians living in South Africa and conducting their business do so freely and fairly without any intimidation, provided they are doing the business legally according to the rules of that country.”
He disclosed that diplomatic engagement was already under way. “Mister President, I’m aware that the Federal Government of Nigeria have already stepped in to this matter. Currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs is already in South Africa to discuss with the authorities there.”
Aliero cautioned against pre-empting executive action, noting, “Our discussion will certainly preempt whatever the Federal Government is going to do in South Africa. I will rather suggest that in view of the seriousness of the matter, we step down discussion on this matter and allow the diplomacy to take its full course.”
For victims, the Senate sought “emergency humanitarian assistance, temporary shelters, evacuation support where required, legal representation, trauma support services, and real-time protection and communication channels” through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies.
To ensure oversight, the Senate mandated its Committee on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to conduct a fact-finding inquest into the recurring attacks, directing it to “engage with affected Nigerians, interface with diplomatic missions and international partners, and report findings back to the Senate”.
The chamber reaffirmed that “the safety and dignity of Nigerians abroad remain non-negotiable”, calling for “urgent and coordinated action to end the cycle of violence and impunity”.
