Tinubu Reports South Africa To AU Over Xenophobic Attacks

•President Demands Action As Nigeria Raises Alarm

•Two Nigerians Arrested In South Africa, N125m Suspected Drugs Seized

President Bola Tinubu has raised Nigeria’s concerns over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa before the African Union, calling for urgent continental action to protect Africans across the continent.

Tinubu made the call through Vice-President Kashim Shettima at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Luanda, Angola.

The President said repeated attacks targeting Africans and other nationals in South Africa were inconsistent with the principles of African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence.

He urged the AU to place the matter on the agenda of its 40th Ordinary Session, scheduled for January 2027, for consideration and appropriate action by African leaders.

“Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa,” Tinubu said.

While acknowledging South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws and its contribution to the continent, the President said such rights could not justify attacks against Africans and other nationals.

“While recognising South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws and acknowledging its contributions to the continent, Nigeria stresses that such attacks undermine African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence, and require urgent collective attention,” he said.

Tinubu called on the AU and its member states to intensify efforts to combat xenophobia and Afrophobia through dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action.

“It is on this note that Nigeria calls on this august Assembly to place the matter on the agenda of the upcoming 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, scheduled for January 2027, for consideration and appropriate action,” he said.

Nigeria’s intervention comes amid longstanding concerns over the treatment of Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.

Relations between Nigeria and South Africa have periodically come under strain following attacks on foreign nationals and businesses owned by migrants from other African countries.

The latest development also coincides with the arrest of two Nigerians by the South African Police Service in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, in an intelligence-led operation during which police said suspected drugs worth R1.5 million, approximately N125 million, were recovered.

The suspects were identified as 36-year-old Kelvin Ike and 52-year-old Okeke Joseph Sunday.

SAPS said the arrests were made on Thursday, August 27, during an operation conducted under Operation Ukubuza in the Central area of Gqeberha.

According to the police, officers acted on intelligence concerning suspected drug dealing activities around Parliament Street.

The operation reportedly began when a police K9 officer spotted a white Mercedes-Benz B200 Turbo parked in the area, with suspected drugs allegedly visible inside the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle and its immediate surroundings resulted in the discovery of a plastic bag containing suspected narcotics near the rear tyre, police said.

Investigators subsequently traced the owner of the vehicle, who reportedly confirmed that he had been renting it out and authorised the officers to search it.

During the search, police allegedly discovered one of the suspects hiding inside the boot of the Mercedes-Benz.

A key found in the suspect’s possession reportedly led officers to a flat, where another search was carried out.

SAPS said the searches resulted in the recovery of substances suspected to be dagga, tik, khat, cocaine and mandrax tablets.

Officers also recovered smoking pipes, insulin syringes, a portable measuring scale and an undisclosed amount of cash.

“Additional suspected drugs and insulin needles were also confiscated from the Mercedes-Benz,” the police said.

The two Nigerians were charged with drug possession and appeared before the Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court. Their case was adjourned until Monday, August 31.

A third suspect, a 42-year-old man, was also arrested after police allegedly found him with a large amount of cash which he could not satisfactorily account for.

SAPS said an investigation into the money had been opened, while the third suspect, who faces a drug dealing charge, is expected to appear before the same court.

The police did not suggest that the nationality of the two Nigerians played any role in their arrest, presenting the operation as an intelligence-driven anti-drug exercise.

Acting Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Brigadier Loyiso Ngalo, commended the officers involved in the operation, saying their quick response to the intelligence helped remove a significant quantity of suspected drugs from the streets.

“The swift response to the information received” was crucial to the success of the operation, Ngalo said.

He said police would continue operations targeting drug dealers and criminal networks in an effort to improve public safety.

Meanwhile, Tinubu used his address to the AU summit to push for broader African cooperation on peace and security.

He endorsed the Luanda Action Plan as a framework for strengthening conflict prevention and addressing the root causes of instability on the continent.

The President said preventing conflicts was more sustainable and cost-effective than managing them after they had escalated.

“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” he said.

He, however, warned that increasing reliance on foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors could weaken the AU’s conflict-prevention architecture and undermine African ownership of peace and security efforts.

“The growing reliance on external actors risks weakening African institutions and the principle of African ownership,” Tinubu warned.

The President said the AU had established mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts but that limited trust among member states and inconsistent implementation had reduced their effectiveness.

He called for renewed commitment to collective responsibility and home-grown solutions to the security challenges facing the continent.

Tinubu also urged countries that manufacture and export arms to work more closely with African states to prevent weapons and ammunition from being diverted to terrorists and other armed groups.

He said stronger measures against the illicit flow of arms were necessary to curb terrorism, insurgency and other forms of violence across Africa.

Nigeria also backed sustainable and predictable financing for AU peace operations and the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719, which provides a framework for supporting AU-led peace support operations.

Tinubu said stronger continental institutions, adequate financing and greater political commitment were needed if Africa was to take greater responsibility for resolving its security challenges.

“Let us therefore renew our collective commitment to solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility as we build the Africa we want,” he said.

The President’s intervention on xenophobia is expected to put renewed focus on the treatment of Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa as African leaders prepare for the AU’s next ordinary session in January 2027.