Amidst a rising tide of xenophobic attacks, the Nigerian House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to initiate an immediate and comprehensive review of bilateral agreements with South Africa.
The resolution, passed during a plenary session on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, marks a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions between Africa’s two largest economies.
The motion was brought forward as a matter of urgent public importance by Honorable Donald Ojogo, representing the Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency.
Lawmakers expressed profound outrage over recent reports detailing the deaths of Nigerians, including Ekpenyong Andrew and Amaramiro Emmanuel, who reportedly died in incidents involving South African security personnel.
The House argued that the persistent nature of these xenophobic attacks indicates a failure of existing diplomatic frameworks to protect Nigerian lives and property.
Leading the debate on the motion to review all bilateral agreements with South Africa, Ojogo said the xenophobic violence has reached an “alarming rate”, adding that Nigerians are being “selectively targeted.”
The lawmaker said the two Nigerians killed in South Africa—identified as Ekpenyong Andrew and Amaramiro Emmanuel—died in separate incidents.
He said Andrew was arrested on April 19 in Pretoria following an alleged altercation with police officers, and his body was later found in a morgue, while Emmanuel died from injuries sustained after being beaten by personnel of the South African National Defence Force on April 20.
“Both incidents were shocking as they involved South African security personnel,” the lawmaker said.
He said the “targeted attacks” against Nigerian nationals are a “demonstration of ingratitude”, considering the roles Nigeria played in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
“The trajectory in South Africa is a recipe for anger and reprisals in Nigeria, and there is a need to prevent such,” he said.
Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who presided over plenary, said Nigeria occupies a “very significant position” in Africa and has supported “many nations to be stronger than they are today”.
“An attack on any Nigerian anywhere is an attack on Nigerians everywhere. It ought not to be so,” he said.
“Nigerians did not allow the apartheid masters to suppress South Africans. South Africans who are liberated should not put other Africans in their territory in bondage. These are facts.”
The motion was adopted after Kalu called for a voice vote.
Following that, the house asked the federal government to “review all bilateral agreements with South Africa, trade and aviation treaties, targeted economic measures, including temporary suspension of issuance of business permits to new South African companies and a review of tax incentives enjoyed by existing South African firms in Nigeria”, pending demonstrable steps by the country to halt the attacks, prosecute perpetrators, and compensate victims.
Specifically, the lawmakers are demanding a:
- Suspension of Aviation and Trade Treaties: A temporary halt to existing deals until safety is guaranteed.
- Business Permit Restrictions: A freeze on the issuance of new business permits to South African companies looking to enter the Nigerian market.
- Tax Incentive Audit: A review of tax holidays and incentives currently enjoyed by South African firms operating within Nigeria.
- Emergency Repatriation: The immediate activation of evacuation plans for Nigerians currently living in volatile provinces like KwaZulu-Natal.
The House also mandated the committees on foreign affairs, diaspora, and cooperation and integration in Africa to liaise with the Nigerian high commission in Pretoria to establish a 24-hour emergency response desk and legal aid fund for distressed Nigerians in South Africa.
The House further mandated the committee to work with the federal government to develop and publicise a comprehensive evacuation contingency plan for Nigerians in volatile provinces, including financial and logistical support for those willing to return home.
