Femi Falana, human
rights lawyer, has criticsed the federal government for allegedly not taking
steps to end the extrajudicial killing of Nigerians in South Africa.
In
a statement on Sunday, the lawyer said the government “has not gone beyond the
regular condemnation” of the killings while also accusing the South African
government of inaction.
At least 121 Nigerians are reported to have been
killed in South Africa in the past 18 months, usually in xenophobic attacks,
the most recent being Chibuzo Nwankwo who was murdered last week.
Falana
said despite the killings, governments of Nigeria and South Africa 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.”
The
senior advocate of Nigeria added that to stop the extrajudicial killings,
government must “pressurise” the South African government to bring all
culprits to book forthwith and compensate victims.
He
urged the current administration to stop “exposing Nigeria to ridicule” by
making the declaration to facilitate access to the African court without
further delay.
“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 said.
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