The President of the Association of Yorubas in Diaspora, South Africa, Olusola Agbeniyi, has criticised Senator Adams Oshiomhole over comments he made concerning recent xenophobic tensions in South Africa.
Agbeniyi accused the former Edo State governor of making inaccurate claims regarding the alleged killing of Nigerians during recent anti-foreigner protests in the country.
Oshiomhole had earlier raised concerns during a Senate plenary session, urging the Nigerian government to respond firmly to developments in South Africa by applying the principle of reciprocity in international relations.
The senator also stated during an interview on Arise TV that repeated killings of Nigerians in South Africa had continued without accountability.
Reacting to the claims during an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, Agbeniyi insisted that no Nigerian citizen was killed during the latest protests and said much of the confusion surrounding the situation was fueled by misinformation circulating on social media.
According to him, public figures such as Oshiomhole should seek verified information directly from Nigerian missions and community leaders on the ground before making public statements capable of escalating tensions.
“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,” Agbeniyi stated.
“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.”
While acknowledging that demonstrations did occur, Agbeniyi stressed that there were no confirmed deaths linked to the protests.
“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,” he added.
He further clarified that the two Nigerians recently reported dead in South Africa were not victims of the anti-foreigner demonstrations.
“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,” he said.
Agbeniyi also rejected claims that foreign nationals are taking jobs meant for South Africans, warning that spreading misleading narratives could worsen hostility toward Nigerians residing in the country.
According to him, some political groups are exploiting economic frustrations and unemployment to fuel anti-immigrant sentiments for political gain.
“Those wrong narratives are the things that come back to affect us. People may think they are helping, but they are not,” he said.
“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.”
The diaspora leader added that many individuals currently considering leaving South Africa are undocumented migrants struggling economically, while Nigerians with valid immigration papers and stable livelihoods are largely remaining in the country.
“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,” Agbeniyi concluded.
