The Federal Government has called on South Africa to take urgent and concrete measures to end recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians, warning that continued violence threatens the long-standing relationship between both countries.

Speaking on Monday during a meeting with South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said the attacks have become a persistent pattern stretching back more than three decades.

According to Enikanolaiye, Nigeria has documented repeated outbreaks of anti-foreigner violence in South Africa since 1995, with further incidents recorded in 1998, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2026.

He said that from 2022 alone, 98 Nigerians had died in mob and hate-related attacks, describing the violence as “Afrophobia” because African nationals, particularly Nigerians, have been the primary victims.

The minister stressed that while Nigeria does not support criminal activities, anyone accused of breaking the law should be arrested, prosecuted and punished through legal processes rather than subjected to mob violence.

He also expressed concern that documented Nigerians with valid residency permits had been targeted and alleged that security agencies had, in some cases, failed to intervene during attacks, raising questions about state responsibility.

Enikanolaiye said President Bola Tinubu directed the meeting to address the issue frankly and urged South Africa to restore confidence by taking decisive action to protect Nigerians and other African nationals living in the country.

He recalled Nigeria’s historic support for South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle and highlighted both countries’ collaboration in the transformation of the Organisation of African Unity into the African Union and the advancement of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

The minister disclosed that about 1,500 Nigerians had been evacuated following the latest wave of violence, describing the experience as deeply distressing after witnessing families return home having lost their belongings and livelihoods.

Responding, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration opposes all forms of intolerance but maintained that the country has the right to tackle irregular migration and crimes such as drug trafficking and wire fraud.

For several months, South Africa has witnessed protests, some of them violent, against African immigrants, with demonstrators blaming foreigners for crime, unemployment and pressure on public services.

According to AFP, more than 160,000 people have fled South Africa during the recent unrest, while South African police said at least four foreign nationals have been killed in attacks linked to anti-migrant protests.