Human rights lawyer and Special Counsel to detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, has strongly condemned recent xenophobic attacks targeting black African migrants in South Africa, describing the violence as “shameful” and a betrayal of African solidarity.
In a statement shared on social media, Ejimakor criticised both the perpetrators and the South African government, warning that continued attacks on fellow Africans undermine the legacy of continental unity that once supported the country’s liberation struggle.
Addressing black South Africans directly, he reminded them of the sacrifices made by other African nations during the anti-apartheid era, noting that countries such as Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania played key roles in supporting South Africa’s freedom.
“What you’re doing to your fellow blacks is very shameful,” he said.
He stressed that former South African leaders, including Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, benefited from support and refuge in countries like Nigeria during the struggle, while frontline states also paid heavily in human lives for South Africa’s liberation.
Ejimakor warned that the current wave of xenophobic violence is damaging South Africa’s global image and eroding goodwill across the continent.
He also criticised the attacks for reinforcing negative racial stereotypes, adding that such actions were “un-black and inhuman.”
“It’s also giving the minority whites some cold comfort that they were probably right in treating you as savages. Are you?” he asked.
Calling on South African authorities to act swiftly, Ejimakor said President Cyril Ramaphosa must take decisive steps to stop the violence, stressing that the international community is closely watching the situation.
He also urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to intervene diplomatically, warning that Nigeria should not remain silent in the face of threats to its citizens abroad.
“To President Tinubu, I urge you to issue the strongest warning to the South African Government that there will be consequences if any Nigerian life is lost to mob violence,” he said.
The remarks come amid renewed reports of xenophobic attacks in parts of South Africa, which have increasingly targeted migrants from other African countries, raising fresh concerns about regional tensions and the safety of foreign nationals.
