FG summons South Africa's High Commissioner over attacks

Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, for a meeting over fresh attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Many Nigerians and their businesses were attacked by South African mobs in yet another one in a long string of xenophobic attacks.

Three people were reported to have been killed during the attacks that targeted foreigners in the Jeppestown area of Johannesburg, South Africa's biggest city, on Sunday and Monday.

"Nigerian-owned businesses were seriously affected. A car sales business owned by a Nigerian were among the several businesses set ablaze over the night," the President of the Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA), Adetola Olubajo, said in a statement.

The attacks have led to widespread anger among Nigerians who have taken to social media to call on the Federal Government to take significant actions against South Africa.

Onyeama is scheduled to meet with Moroe to discuss the attacks by 11:00 am on Tuesday., September 3, 2019.

"I am directed to inform you that the Minister of Foreign Affairs has summoned the High Commissioner of South Africa for a meeting this morning by 11," Kimiebi Ebenfa, a senior official with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, disclosed.

Onyeama said on Monday that the Nigerian government will take definitive measures in reaction to the attacks, but the Federal Government has failed to make any further statements.

"Received sickening and depressing news of continued burning and looting of Nigerian shops and premises in South Africa by mindless criminals with ineffective police protection. Enough is enough. We will take definitive measures," he posted on Twitter.

Nigerians have battled xenophobic attacks in South Africa for years, with at least 127 believed to have been killed over the past three years.

While holding a bilateral meeting with Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, on the sidelines of the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) last week, South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said his government is working to end the attacks.

"We feel very upset about that. Obviously, our criminal justice system is working on it. We don't support killings," Ramaphosa said.

The two leaders are expected to discuss the issue at more length during Buhari's official visit to South Africa in October.