You must protect Nigerians in South Africa – Rights lawyer, Ejiofor challenges FG 

Human rights lawyer and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has urged the Nigerian Government to move beyond mere expressions of concern and take decisive action to ensure the safety of Nigerians living in South Africa.

Ejiofor in a statement issued on Saturday said Nigeria should vigorously pursue every legitimate diplomatic and legal avenue available to ensure that Nigerians living in South Africa are not harmed.

This is coming on the heels of xenophobic attacks on foreigners residing in South Africa, which has led to many countries evacuating their citizens from the troubled country, while some lives have reportedly been lost.

He urged the federal government to insist on credible investigations and prosecutions, demand concrete guarantees for the safety of Nigerians living in South Africa, and work with regional and continental institutions to ensure that xenophobic violence never becomes an accepted feature of African coexistence.

His release read: “The life of every Nigerian is priceless. The blood of our citizens must never become cheaper than diplomatic courtesies.

“A sovereign state owes its citizens more than sympathy; it owes them protection and justice,” he said.

He noted that the recent diplomatic confrontation between Ghana and South Africa, following the reported killing of Bashiru Isak, a Ghanaian national who was allegedly shot dead in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on June 30, 2026, offers a profound lesson in what responsive statecraft ought to look like.

According to Ejiofor, rather than issuing routine expressions of concern, the Government of Ghana unequivocally condemned the killing, describing it as part of the disturbing resurgence of xenophobic violence against African migrants in South Africa.

He said the Ghanaian Government demanded an immediate, transparent, and comprehensive investigation, the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, and stronger protection for Ghanaian nationals residing in South Africa.