The President of the Association of Yorubas in Diaspora, South Africa, Olusola Agbeniyi, has warned the senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, against making false claims over recent xenophobic tensions in the country.
PrimeTimes Nigeria recalls that Oshiomhole had, during a Senate plenary, called on Nigeria to respond firmly to developments in South Africa, invoking the principle of reciprocity in international relations following recent anti-foreigner protests.
Oshiomhole had also, during an interview on Arise TV, said that repeated killings of Nigerians in South Africa had gone without accountability.
However, Agbeniyi, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, berated Oshiomhole over the claims, insisting that no Nigerian was killed during the latest protests.
While attributing the confusion to widespread misinformation, particularly on social media, Agbeniyi emphasised that someone like Oshiomhole should have contacted the mission to get first-hand information.
He further clarified that the two Nigerians recently reported dead were not victims of the protests.
He said, “Somebody like Oshiomhole should have contacted the mission to get first-hand information, especially on the aspect of the killing of Nigerians, because during this last protest, no Nigerian was killed.
“There is so much misinformation on social media that we must desist from relying on it. There are a lot of impressions that are far from reality.
“We are not saying there was no demonstration. Everybody knows that, but what we are saying is that nobody was killed. We are on the ground and would have the information if anyone was killed. I would have given you the name if there was such a case.
“The two people that were killed were not cases related to the protest. No one has come out to claim that their relative was killed during the protest.”
Further dismissing claims that foreigners were taking jobs meant for South Africans, Agbeniyi warned that spreading inaccurate narratives could worsen the situation for Nigerians living in South Africa.
He described the protests as partly driven by political interests, adding that many of those considering leaving the country were undocumented migrants without stable means of livelihood.
He stated, “Those wrong narratives are the things that come back to affect us. People may think they are helping, but they are not.
“No foreigner is taking anybody’s job. There is a lot of politics to it, with some small political groups using idle hands to push their agenda.
“The people who want to leave are mostly illegal immigrants who do not have means of livelihood. Those who have valid papers are not eager to leave South Africa.”