Nigeria Demands N84m Damages For Xenophobic Attacks

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Nigerian government is to demand N84 million from South Africa as damages for its citizens who are victims of the xenophobic attacks in the country. Aminu Wali, Minister of Foreign Affairs made this known in Abuja on Tuesday, April 28, while briefing the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs on his visit to South Africa.

According To Premium Times, the minister explained that Nigerians in the country did not suffer serious casualty as a result of the violence.

Giving a rundown of damages ​suffered by Nigerians, he said: “Total of Nigerians wounded or hospitalized is two, shops looted and damaged five, number of displaced Nigerian men is two, number of displaced women six, and number of displaced children eight.

“In terms of these attacks, our situation is minimal and luckily there are no fatalities and there is no serious injury.

“The assessment in terms of the compensation that we intend to now demand from South Africa when we have our next bi-national commission meeting in Abuja is N84 million.”

The minister however exempted the South African government from culpability in the attacks, noting that the attacks were instigated by South African traditional leaders.

He added that the King of the Zulus, Goodwill Zwelithini, was currently being investigated for allegedly instigating the violence against immigrants of African descent.

Mr Wali also advised against the recalling of Nigeria’s envoy to South Africa on the grounds that Nigerians were still residing in the country.

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