The Nigerian Mission in South Africa on Friday said it had waded into issues surrounding Thursday’s renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians.
In the attack in Polokwane, Limpopo Province, one Nigerian, Razak Ajao, an auto mechanic, died and five others were injured.
Amb. Martin Cobham, Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner in South Africa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Pretoria that the situation had been brought under control.
Cobham said that the Nigerian mission had formally registered a protest to the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the incident.
He said he had had a meeting with the Nigerian community to determine that only one Nigeria was killed on the account of the melee between local taxi drivers and Nigerians in that province.
He said that the victims would be buried immediately as a Moslem after a post mortem must have been conducted.
“I want to believe that he would be buried immediately as a Moslem.
“Two other Nigerians who were injured have been treated and discharged from the hospital while three are still receiving treatment there.’’
The envoy said that he had dispatched a senior officer to represent the mission at the funeral of the deceased, and expressed condolences with the family.
He said that he would engage the police in the province on the outcome of the Thursday meeting with a view to stop further attack on Nigerians.
“The mission is on top of the situation and we assure our people that with the early warning unit in place, a lot will be achieved in this regard,’’ Cobham said. (NAN)
