Xenophobic Attacks: NANS advises youths to shun violence

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The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Kwara chapter, on Thursday, implored Nigerian youths to shun violence in the face of the current attacks and killings of Nigerians in South Africa.

Mr Adebayo Olosasa, the NANS chapter chairman, who made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin, said the union condemned the attacks and killings of Nigerians in South Africa.

He, however, urged the youth not to take laws into their hands, through reprisal attacks on South Africa’s interests in the country.

“We urge fellow Nigerians to shun anything that will make us turn against ourselves because violence begets violence.

“The majority of the people working in South African investments in our country are Nigerians,” he said.

The NANS chairman observed that Nigeria was one of the front line countries that assisted South Africa during the apartheid regime, and wondered why the people turned against Nigeria.

“I remember when we were in primary school, we use to contribute some amounts of money to assist in the cause of South Africans,” he said.

Olosasa advised the gederal government to take concrete and decisive steps to protect Nigerians and their interests anywhere.

The NANS chairman said the students’ body will have a meeting on Sept. 9 to reach a resolution on what Nigerian students would agree to do on the issue.

He called on the government at all levels to turn the economy around so youths would not migrate to other peoples’ countries anymore, saying: “Nigeria has a lot of untapped resources.

Speaking with NAN on the same issue, Mr Wisdom Okoko, the President, Students Union Government (SUG) of the University of Ilorin, said students condemned the attacks and killings of Nigerians in South Africa.

He called on the Nigerian government to evacuate Nigerians in South Africa, saying that “Nigeria is enough to contain its citizens”.

Okoko urged students and youths across the country to shun violence, adding; “they should not allow the issue degenerate to cause violence among ourselves”.