ADELANI ADEPEGBA
The Federal Government may not take punitive measures against South Africa in retaliation for the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians, it was learnt on Saturday.
Senior government officials said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would continue to pursue diplomatic avenues to address the issue.
Specifically, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olusola Enikanolaiye, confirmed to our correspondent that the Federal Government would continue to pursue a diplomatic solution to the problem.
He said, “There is no plan to carry out any punitive measures against South Africa, we are pursuing diplomatic means to resolve the issue, we have held series of meetings with the South African authorities and the High Commissioner to Nigeria and we are confident that the problem would soon be resolved.”
The Nigeria Immigration Service Public Relations Officer, James Sunday, also explained on Saturday that the agency had not received any directive to target South African nationals for deportation.
He described as false speculation that the NIS would clamp down on citizens of the former apartheid enclave in Nigeria.
“Though deportations of irregular immigrants is done from time to time, it is only those who flout visa regulations that are deported; for now, there is no directive to the service to deport or target South Africans in Nigeria,” Sunday said.
Meanwhile, the South Africa High Commission to Nigeria has said it was working to verify the alleged threats by Niger Delta militants to attack MTN and other South African companies in the country.
The South African envoy, Amb. Lulu Mnguni, explained that the mission had yet to ascertain the authenticity of the threat.
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