Shettima: Nigeria Will No Longer Tolerate Dehumanisation of Citizens in South Africa
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Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that Nigeria will no longer tolerate the dehumanisation or mistreatment of its citizens in South Africa, a day after Tinubu formally raised the issue at the African Union.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that Nigeria will no longer tolerate the dehumanisation or mistreatment of its citizens in South Africa, warning that recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians have become unacceptable.
Shettima issued the statement in Luanda, Angola, on Sunday, shortly before departing for Nigeria after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union. "The government and people of Nigeria will no longer countenance a situation whereby our people are dehumanised and put into very, very unacceptable situations," he said, recalling Nigeria's historical role in the struggle against apartheid and the liberation of Southern Africa.
The Vice President stressed that Nigeria remained committed to resolving the matter through dialogue 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 that certain situations are unacceptable," he said, urging South African authorities to protect lives and uphold human dignity in enforcing immigration policy. His remarks came a day after Nigeria formally reported the attacks to the African Union, requesting the matter be placed on the agenda of the AU's January 2027 summit.