– KOLAPO Ayobamidele, ABH Press
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Benue State took to major roads in Makurdi on Thursday to protest against the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa and locked up the offices of some South African companies in the state capital, including MTN and DSTV offices.
The students began marching from Wurukum Junction to the High Level areas and Barracks road where the MTN and DSTV offices are located.
NANS Zonal Deputy Coordinator, Zone C, Abah Owoicho, who led the protest, told newsmen that it has become necessary for the students’ body to speak up, seeing that the killing of Nigerians had continued with no visible attempt by the South African Government to curb the menace. He also condemned the recent killing of a Nigerian student, Dennis Obiaju, in South Africa, describing it at “barbaric”.
Owoicho stated “It is painful to see that the citizens of a country which supported South Africa to attain freedom are being massacred. Nigeria fought hard to stop apartheid and now, the South Africans are paying us back with evil”.
“We will not allow any South African business to thrive until a concrete arrangement is put in place to guarantee the safety of Nigerians in South Africa. We want to draw the attention of the international community to the dastardly act of killing Nigerians in South Africa”.
Owoicho added that they had been mandated by NANS National body to shut down all South African businesses in Nigeria, including MTN, DSTV and Shoprite. He also presented a letter of protest titled “Position of NANS on Xenophobic Attack on Nigerians in South Africa” to the organizations.
Miss Vera Ube, MTN Connect Manager in Makurdu, who received the letter on behalf of MTN said that the management and staff of MTN were not in support of the killings as it had condemned such anti-development actions any time they occurred.
She however said she would forward the letter to the appropriate quarters for consideration.
