Nigerian students have said they will target South African investments in the country if the government fails to stop the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa within seven-days.
SA begs for mercy as Nigerian students plan 'war' against MTN, Shoprite, others
Following the xenophobic violence in South Africa, blamed on remarks by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, NANS has given the South African government 7 days to stop the attack or risk a backlash in Nigeria.
South Africa's xenophobic attacks have claimed several lives already.
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Apex students' body, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), in a Sunday statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nwankwo Ezekiel, condemned the xenophobic violence which has been blamed on remarks by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.
"[NANS] condemns the sudden mysterious death of our own father, mother, brother, sister and loss of their properties in South Africa as a result of xenophobic attacks leaving behind their love ones," the statement read.
The union said it will shut down investments operating in Nigeria and owned by South Africans, like the telecoms giant, MTN and retail giant, Shoprite and also make South Africans living in the country 'uncomfortable'.
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It is with a sense of brotherhood that we are mandating the South African government to ensure an urgent solution to bring to an end this killing of our own citizens within the next seven days or it will leave us with no alternative than to go against all the South African investments in our noble country Nigeria and will not stop at this but furthermore, make all South African citizen uncomfortable in our country," the union stated.
Some Nigerians have already taken to social media to condemn the attacks.
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The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Lulu Mguni, in a recent interview with THISDAY blamed the attacks on criminal elements exploiting the anger of the poor masses in South Africa, adding that boycotting South African-related companies, goods and services would not be in the interest of both countries.
Mguni said, though "Nigerians who feel that way cannot be blamed", such a move would only hurt peace-loving South Africans and the economy of both countries.
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"You can't say you are hurting only the South Africans because by doing this you are also hurting your own economy," he said.
"So I appeal let us work together, let us not come to a level where we start hurting each other.
"We appeal that we should not take that line of action and allow these criminal elements to define our relationships."
Over 800,000 Nigerians living in different parts of South Africa are at risk of the xenophobic attacks which have claimed several lives already.
Nigerians have also reportedly lost at least 1.2 million Rand (about N21 million) in the attacks.
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