Nigerians in SA lose N21M to crisis

monjola sotubo 10:53 - 20 April 2015

The Nigerian government has said it would evacuate Nigerians who are willing to return home from South Africa if attacks worsen.

Ajulu-Okeke stated that the property lost by Nigerians includes looted shops, burnt shops, two burnt mechanic workshops, 11 burnt cars and two stolen cars, among others.

According to Nigeria’s Consul-General in South Africa, Uche Ajulu-Okeke, citizens of the West African country have lost more than N21m (R1.2m) as a result of the on-going attacks against foreigners in SA.

“Nigerians have compiled the cost of the damage to their property and it is totalling about 1.2m Rand or N21m, which will be sent to the Federal Government for further action,” the ambassador told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) via telephone.

“The Nigerian mission in South Africa is on top of the situation. We are working hard to protect Nigerians in South Africa. Though the task has not been easy but we are trying our best. In one of the hot spots at Jeppe, near Johannesburg, the mission assisted about 50 stranded Nigerians to re-settle,” she added.

Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Martin Cobham, has however said that it’s too early to consider the possibility of evacuating Nigerians from SA over the attacks.