Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government, on Monday, faulted legal luminary, Mr. Femi Falana’s submission that both the Nigerian government and its South African counterpart failed to prevent the killing of Nigerians in South Africa.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari changed the hitherto status quo.
Falana, who spoke, on Sunday, following the death of Chibuzo Nwankwo, an indigene of Enugu state, said in the past one and half years, 121 Nigerians had been killed in South Africa without the governments of Nigeria and South Africa doing nothing about the killings.
Falana said both governments deliberately refused to put a stop to the xenophobic attacks unleashed on immigrants from African countries by the people of South Africa.
But Dabiri, in a WhatsApp message sent to Daily Sun, said “Don’t forget that this latest killing is by a Nigerian.
“The last three killings have been Nigerians killing Nigerians. Some quite worrisome and a more dangerous trend.
“Six policemen involved in the killing of Nigerians over the years have recently been arraigned in court and the Nigerian Embassy is closely monitoring the cases in court.
“The Nigerian government will continue to demand justice for killings, but this element of Nigerians killing fellow Nigerians in another country will only complicate matters.”
READ ALSO: Two factions of Benue Assembly in supremacy war
Dabiri further said: “This is the first time policemen would be arraigned for killings which is as a result of President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s persistent intervention on the matter.
“The Nigerian involved in this killing has been arrested,” she concluded.