Falana Slams FG For ‘Lackadaisical Attitude’ To End Killings Of Nigerians In S/Africa

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has criticized the federal government for “lackadaisical attitude” to the extrajudicial killing of Nigerians in South Africa.

Falana, in a statement on Sunday, said the government has failed to take adequate steps to end the killings, which according to reports have claimed 121 Nigerians in the past 18 months.

The senior advocate of Nigeria said both Nigeria and South Africa government have “deliberately refused to accept the jurisdictional competence of the African court on human and people’s rights by making a declaration in line with article 34 (6) of the protocol for the establishment of the court”.

“Thus, by refusing to make the declaration, both countries have made it impossible for their nationals whose human rights have been violated by state actors to seek legal redress in the court,” the statement read.

“On its own part, the government of Nigeria has not gone beyond the regular condemnation of the brutal killings. Up till now, the government has not deemed it fit to take bold diplomatic measures to guarantee the security of the life and property of every Nigerian citizen living in South Africa.

“However, the lackadaisical attitude of the Nigerian government to the brutalisation of Nigerian immigrants in South Africa is not surprising in view of the impotence of the State to curb the incessant killing of innocent citizens at home by terrorists, herders, armed robbers, kidnappers and other bandits.”

Falana said that to stop the extrajudicial killings, government must put pressure on the South African government to bring all culprits to book and compensate victims.

“We are therefore compelled to call on the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights to conduct an enquiry into the killings of African immigrants in South Africa and make appropriate recommendations to the African Union,” he added.