Prevail on Zuma to compensate xenophobia victims, NUSA tells Buhari

The Nigeria Union, South Africa, NUSA has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use the occasion of the visit of President Jacob Zuba to Abuja to press for adequate compensation for Nigerians who were victims of xenophobia attacks in that country in 2015.

The President of NUSA, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, made the call in Abuja on Monday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

NAN reports that the Federal Government had on Sunday said that the challenges being faced by Nigerians in South Africa would be addressed in the course of Zuma's 2-day visit.

Anyene expressed regret that none of the Nigerians affected by the April 2015 xenophobic violence in South has been compensated.

"Lots of Nigerians lost their means of livelihood, material possessions and for many, all their hard work.

"We have sought for compensation on behalf of these victims from the South African government through the Nigerian government so that the victims can be adequately compensated.

"Up to this point in time nothing has been heard about the compensation request on behalf of the victims,” he said.

The NUSA President lamented that the harassment and killing of Nigerians in South Africa has continued till date.

"For some years now, a lot of Nigerians in South Africa have been victims of assassination by unknown people and rogue officers of the South African Police Service.

"Most of the cases have not been solved and nobody has been arrested in majority of the cases, even as many of them were reported to the police with official case numbers.

"This is strange in a country where the police force is efficient and the rate of successful prosecution is high up to 92.2 per cent in 2014/15.

"We implore the minister to demand from the highest level of South African authorities to set up a panel to investigate our claims and address our concerns,’’ he said.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN recalled that the xenophobic attacks followed Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini's call for foreigners to leave South Africa as they were taking job opportunities from the citizens.