The Federal Government on Tuesday declared that Nigeria is not helpless in responding to the recent Afrophobic attacks in South Africa, stressing that while several options remain available to protect the country’s citizens, diplomacy and sustained negotiations remain the preferred course of action.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaye, disclosed this after briefing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on the outcome of his meeting with South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, who visited Nigeria as a special envoy of President Cyril Ramaphosa following the attacks that claimed the lives of several Nigerians and destroyed properties belonging to thousands of others.

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Enikanolaye said President Tinubu endorsed the government’s approach of pursuing diplomatic engagement while keeping other options open should negotiations fail to secure adequate protection and justice for Nigerians living in South Africa.

“I reported to the President, as I told the envoy yesterday, that Nigeria has options, and the President agrees with me. There are options. We are not helpless in this situation.

“All options are still on the table. We will prefer diplomacy and negotiations to continue until we can arrive at a mutually acceptable outcome that will protect Nigerian citizens, their lives and property in South Africa”, the minister said.

He stressed that every Nigerian deserved protection regardless of immigration status, saying the right to life could not be denied to anyone.

“Whether they are regular or irregular, they are human beings, and we made that very clear. Criminals also have a right to life. You cannot say because they are criminals and begin to hound and kill them. We made that very clear, and South Africa agreed with that position”, he said.

The minister said he had just concluded briefing the President on the assignment given to him on Monday to receive and engage the South African envoy.

According to him, discussions with the South African delegation yielded commitments aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in addressing the crisis.

He said one of the major outcomes was an agreement on the need to quickly activate the Early Warning Mechanism earlier agreed between both countries, alongside the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission.

“I gave the President specific details of the commitments we were able to secure from the South Africans, including the need to quickly activate the Early Warning Mechanism, which Mr President mentioned specifically, as well as the Bi-National Commission between our two countries”, he said.

Enikanolaye also briefed the President on the ongoing evacuation of Nigerians affected by the attacks, revealing that about 1,490 citizens had already been brought back home.

He thanked President Tinubu for approving the resources that made the evacuation possible, adding that two evacuation batches were sponsored by private individuals.

The minister, however, noted that many more Nigerians still wished to return home, saying the government was exploring additional funding options to continue the evacuation exercise.

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On demands by returnees for compensation over properties lost during the attacks, Enikanolaye said the issue would form part of the continuing engagement with the South African government.

He disclosed that Nigeria had already designed a claims form to document losses suffered by affected citizens, saying negotiations would be driven by verifiable data.

“We have designed a form to be filled by all Nigerians who may have lost property in South Africa because we want to proceed on the basis of data and the actual contour of losses they have suffered.

“Our engagement with South Africa is ongoing. It is not a one-off event. Yesterday was a continuation, and we intend to continue meeting. We will then table those claims and explore options for compensation”, he said.

The minister also said he informed President Tinubu that Nigeria maintained a different interpretation of the attacks from South Africa, insisting that the violence was specifically targeted at fellow Africans.

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He said the President agreed that the incidents were better described as Afrophobic attacks rather than xenophobic violence.

According to him, Tinubu believes African countries must unite to end the cycle of violence against Africans residing in South Africa.

Enikanolaye added that the President’s cordial relationship with President Ramaphosa would be leveraged in pursuing a lasting diplomatic solution capable of ending the killings, destruction of property and repeated attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa. (The Nation)