The President of the Association of Yorubas in Diaspora, South Africa, Dr Olusola Agbeniyi, has asked the senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, to desist from making what he described as false claims over recent xenophobic tensions in the country.

Oshiomhole had, during a Senate plenary, called on Nigeria to respond firmly to developments in South Africa, invoking the principle of reciprocity in international relations following recent anti-foreigner protests.

The former Edo State governor also said in an interview on Arise TV that repeated killings of Nigerians in South Africa had gone without accountability.

However, Agbeniyi, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, faulted the senator’s claims, insisting that no Nigerian was killed during the latest protests.

He attributed the confusion to widespread misinformation, particularly on social media, warning against forming opinions based on unverified reports.

“Somebody like Oshiomhole should have contacted the mission to get first-hand information, especially on the aspect of the killing of Nigerians, because during this last protest, no Nigerian was killed.

“There is so much misinformation on social media that we must desist from relying on it. There are a lot of impressions that are far from reality,” he said.

While acknowledging that demonstrations and anti-immigrant protests did occur, he stressed that they did not result in fatalities or destruction of Nigerian-owned businesses.

Agbeniyi further clarified that the two Nigerians recently reported dead were not victims of the protests.

He added, “We are not saying there was no demonstration. Everybody knows that, but what we are saying is that nobody was killed. We are on the ground and would have the information if anyone was killed. I would have given you the name if there was such a case.

“The two people that were killed were not cases related to the protest. No one has come out to claim that their relative was killed during the protest.”

Agbeniyi warned that spreading inaccurate narratives could worsen the situation for Nigerians living in South Africa.

The diaspora leader also dismissed claims that foreigners were taking jobs meant for South Africans, describing the protests as partly driven by political interests.

“Those wrong narratives are the things that come back to affect us. People may think they are helping, but they are not.

“No foreigner is taking anybody’s job. There is a lot of politics to it, with some small political groups using idle hands to push their agenda,” he added.

Agbeniyi further stated that many of those considering leaving the country were undocumented migrants without stable means of livelihood.

“The people who want to leave are mostly illegal immigrants who do not have means of livelihood. Those who have valid papers are not eager to leave South Africa.” (Sunday PUNCH, excluding headline)