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The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Wednesday asked South African nationals and businesses in Nigeria to leave the country on or before Monday next week to avert grave penalty.
This is in reaction to the xenophobic attacks in South Africa where many Nigerians have been killed and their properties destroyed.
Reprisal attacks on South African businesses in Nigeria have heightened in the last 24 hours with protesters attacking the offices of MTN, Shoprite and other companies owned by South Africans in Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan and seceral other cities.
On Wednesday, scores of the Nigerian students led by the National Public Relations Officer, NANS, Adeyemi Azeez, poured into Lalubu street, Oke Lewo, located within the Central Business District of Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, to protest against the attacks on Nigerians and the inability of authorities concerned to handle the situation.
Azeez who addressed reporters on Lalubu street, lamented that the
South Africans have set Nigerians ablaze, maimed others, shot women and burnt Nigerian businesses with the authorities doing nothing to end the carnage.
Azeez warned that by Thursday, all South African businesses in Ogun State and other parts of Nigeria would be shut down.
His words: “Clearly, our detest of anything that has to do with the South Africans is not unconnected to the spate of killings of our people in their country which has now taken another gear.
“As students we had embarked on mild struggles in the past against this inhuman acts of the South Africans but the animals in human flesh has proven to us that, they can only stop if we up our actions against them.
“It is however important to note that it is either they stop the killing of our people or we pursue this evil perpetrators to the gate of hell.
“Going forward, as young people who originally own this country and we would not wait for President Muhammadu Buhari who have refused to take a leadership and decisive position on the menace of the South Africans.
“To this end, we have decided not to attack these disgruntled elements until they defile our instructions which goes does.
“Firstly, all South African businesses must close every kind of business transactions (most especially the Stambic IBTC) opened at any point with our people in the next 12 hours .
“Secondly, by Thursday morning, All South African business operating in Nigeria must shutdown totally as our comrades have been strategically positioned across the 36 states of the federation to combat stubborn outlets and destroy in totality their goods and properties.
“Thirdly, South Africans living in Nigeria must leave our country latest by Monday morning as we shall confront them with the trailer of Aluta if they refuse to leave by Monday morning.
“Now to Nigerians , we would not want this evil doers to tactically set us against ourselves and to avoid this, we appeal to you to as a matter of urgency, end your transactions with any South African firm in Nigeria such as; withdraw all your money at stanbic IBTC today and move your money to other peaceful banks in the country as adherence to this instruction will do a lot of good to our country and as well go a long way in saving the lives of our people in South Africa.
“The president of NANS, Comrade Danielson Bamidele AKPAN has surmoned an Extra Ordinary NANS BOT/STAKEHOLDERS Emergency meeting for Friday, where the chain of the resultant actions on this xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa shall be drawn algorithmly.
“This is not a struggle of NANS alone, it is our collective struggle as Nigerians to stand against this for our brothers and sisters in South Africa. “