S/Africa Killings: Dabiri-Erewa Calls for Review of Early Warning Signals

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has called for a review of the Early Warning Signal (EWS) put in place by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and South Africa early last year.

This is a follow-up action to the recent killing of two Nigerians in South Africa as the attack in the country is increasing at an alarming rate.

The call was contained in a statement signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Special Assistant to Dabiri-Erewa on media, as she lamented that the aim of EWS establishment by the two countries have been defeated “as the present mechanisms seem to do little or nothing to prevent the occurrences of these killings’’

Dabiri-Erewa further urged Nigerians living in South Africa to be calm and await immediate intervention from both countries to stop the killings by putting a stop to their proposed mass protest

However, the lawmaker said four South African policemen are already on trial for allegedly killing Nigerians in South Africa, adding that none of the perpetrators would go unpunished.

It will be recalled that the Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Union in South Africa, Habib Miller, told newsmen that two Nigerians identified as Francis Ochuba, a native of Ngodo community in the Umnneochi Local Government Area of Abia and Chidi Ibebuike, a native of Uturu in the Isikwuato Local Government Area also in Abia, were killed in South Africa in the past eight days.

Ochuba, a property owner, was shot dead alongside his estate agent, a female South African on May 5. They were shot dead as they visited the tenant occupying Ochuba’s house to collect rent in Central Johannesburg.

Ibebuike, however, was shot dead at the entrance to his house at Hazyview in Mpumalanga with his car seized by unidentified gunmen on May 13.

‘’The chairman of the Nigeria Union in Mpumalanga Province, Mr Amadi in the company of other compatriots, reported the incident to the South African police authorities and the investigation is ongoing,’’ Miller said.

From reports about 800,000 Nigerians, mostly young people, reside in South Africa.