The House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved to investigate the human and economic losses suffered by Nigerians in repeated xenophobic attacks in the Republic of South Africa, citing years of killings, destruction of businesses, forced displacement and growing anti-foreigner campaigns targeting African migrants.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), who argued that despite decades of diplomatic protests and condemnations, Nigeria has never undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the casualties and economic damage suffered by its citizens in South Africa.
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Presenting the motion during plenary, Mr Benson recalled Nigeria’s historic role in South Africa’s liberation struggle against apartheid, noting that the country committed significant diplomatic, financial and political resources to the anti-apartheid movement.
He said Nigeria championed South Africa’s cause at the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Organisation of African Unity, established the Southern African Relief Fund, awarded educational scholarships to South Africans and imposed economic sacrifices on its own citizens in support of the struggle for freedom.
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According to him, despite that longstanding relationship, Nigerians lawfully residing in South Africa have remained victims of recurrent xenophobic violence for nearly two decades.
He said the attacks have been characterised by killings, mob violence, physical assaults, arson, looting of businesses, destruction of property, intimidation, forced displacement and hate campaigns directed largely at African migrants.
“Notwithstanding this historic relationship, Nigerians residing lawfully in the Republic of South Africa have, for nearly two decades, remained recurrent targets of xenophobic violence characterised by killings, mob attacks, physical assaults, arson, looting of businesses, destruction of properties, forced displacement, intimidation and hate campaigns principally directed at African migrants,” he said.
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Mr Benson noted that major outbreaks of xenophobic violence occurred in 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021, with several other incidents recorded in subsequent years.
He said each wave of attacks strained diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa, triggered emergency evacuations of Nigerian citizens and was followed by assurances from the South African Government that measures would be introduced to prevent a recurrence.
The lawmaker expressed concern over what he described as a fresh resurgence of coordinated anti-foreigner campaigns, fuelled by inflammatory rhetoric from groups such as Operation Dudula and similar organisations.
According to him, the campaigns have created widespread fear among Nigerians living in South Africa, forcing many to abandon their homes, businesses and investments while seeking emergency evacuation after receiving threats and ultimatums to leave the country.
He observed that although successive sessions of the National Assembly had repeatedly debated motions condemning xenophobic attacks and called for diplomatic engagement, no legislative investigation had established the actual number of Nigerians killed, injured or displaced, or quantified the economic losses suffered over the years.
“None has culminated in a comprehensive legislative enquiry to establish the actual number of Nigerians killed, injured, displaced or the aggregate economic losses suffered by Nigerian citizens over the years,” he said.
Mr Benson argued that the absence of verified data had weakened Nigeria’s ability to pursue effective diplomatic engagement, formulate appropriate policies or seek compensation for affected citizens.
He stressed that a comprehensive legislative inquiry had become necessary not only to establish responsibility for recent attacks but also to document the cumulative human, economic and social consequences of xenophobic violence against Nigerians.
According to him, the findings would provide an evidential basis for legislative intervention, diplomatic negotiations and the development of stronger institutional mechanisms to protect Nigerians living abroad.
Supporting the motion, Paschal Agbodike (APC, Anambra) urged the federal government to consider compensation for Nigerians who returned home after losing everything during the attacks.
“I’m looking at how to compensate those who have been repatriated from South Africa because I watched video clips showing where South African citizens looted the properties of Nigerians immediately after they left the country,” he said.
“It means their target was the businesses of our people. I’m from the South-east geopolitical zone, and many of my people are affected. They are calling on the Nigerian Government to assist them because they returned home empty-handed.
“Our people are law-abiding, and we must ensure such incidents do not happen again. That is why I am passionate about this motion,” Mr Agbodike said.
Responding, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, who presided over the plenary, urged the lawmaker to actively participate in the committee’s work once the investigation begins.
“I understand. Once this is referred to the relevant committees, I would want to see you being active in whatever deliberation will take place at the committee level,” the speaker said.
Following the debate, the House adopted the motion and mandated its Committees on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to investigate the losses, damages and casualties suffered by Nigerians during previous and recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
The committees were also directed to compile an inventory of properties abandoned by Nigerians as a result of the violence and recommend diplomatic initiatives, legal mechanisms and bilateral engagements to ensure accountability for perpetrators, strengthen the protection of Nigerians residing in South Africa and promote compliance with international human rights obligations.
The House gave the committees four weeks to submit their report for further legislative action.
The motion was also referred to the House Committee on the Nigeria-South Africa Parliamentary Group.
Background
Tuesday’s resolution comes barely two weeks after the House of Representatives strongly condemned another wave of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa and urged the federal government to intensify diplomatic engagement with Pretoria while rejecting calls by some lawmakers to immediately suspend diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The earlier resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), who decried recurring violence, unlawful arrests, extrajudicial killings and the persecution of Nigerians living in South Africa.
The lawmakers urged the federal government to summon the South African High Commissioner to explain the attacks, demand justice for affected Nigerians and take stronger diplomatic measures to protect Nigerians living in the country.
Although some members proposed suspending diplomatic relations and imposing reciprocal measures against South African businesses operating in Nigeria, the House declined those recommendations, opting instead for sustained diplomatic engagement while insisting that South Africa must fulfil its obligation to protect all residents irrespective of nationality.
The latest tensions followed a renewed surge in anti-immigration campaigns spearheaded by groups such as Operation Dudula and the “March and March” movement, which issued a 30 June ultimatum demanding that African migrants leave parts of South Africa.
The campaign fuelled widespread protests, attacks on migrant-owned businesses, intimidation and renewed fears among foreign nationals, prompting many Nigerians to abandon their homes, businesses and investments while seeking evacuation.
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Xenophobic violence has remained one of the most persistent challenges in Nigeria-South Africa relations since the first major nationwide attacks in 2008, when dozens of people were killed and thousands of foreign nationals displaced.
Further waves of violence in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021 similarly targeted migrants from several African countries, including Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Somalia, leading to deaths, destruction of businesses and diplomatic tensions between Abuja and Pretoria.
Despite repeated condemnations by both governments and assurances by South African authorities that perpetrators would be prosecuted and preventive measures strengthened, attacks against foreign African nationals have continued to recur.
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