By Peter Ejiofor, London
Nigerians in South Africa have raised an alarm over fresh terror attacks being unleashed on them by a criminal vigilance group in Sasolburg, Freestate Province.
The Nigerians, under the aegis of Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA), raised the alarm in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Habib Miller, and emailed to TheNewsZenith
on Friday.
They claimed that the group located, attacked, robbed, denuded and assaulted Nigerians in their homes.
NUSA also alleged the South African Police in the province of complicity in the Nigerians’ fundamental human rights infringement.
“The group killed three persons and the Police has not made any arrest. Victims of the attacks are living with traumatic scars.
“Some are terrified of leaving their places of abode to carry out their daily activities for fear of assault,” the statement read in part.
Miller said the video of a group of men, assaulting a Nigerian, triggered NUSA’s curiosity.
In the video, he said the assailants wielded dangerous objects like sticks, shovels and rakes while attacking the Nigerian.
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“One could see the helpless man trembling and wondering what befalls him in the nightmare,’’ Miller said.
He said NUSA executive, led by the Acting President, Mrs Doris Ikeri-Solarin, visited the city on Sept. 13 to unravel the cause of the inhuman treatment meted out to the young man.
“When we met our citizens in Sasolburg, Mr Austine Chidi Chijioke spoke on behalf of the Nigerian community in the city.
He narrated how the group and the Police have been assaulting Nigerians since 2011.
“In early 2023, the Police were perpetrating the harassment, until we started noticing the vigilante group.
“The most recent onslaught by the violent group led to the death of a Nigerian identified as Mr Ifeeme Chinonso on Sept. 7, 2023.”
“Chinonso was an easygoing young man with great prospects,’’ Chijioke said. He, however, added that he was not sure how the incident that led to Chinonso’s death, began.
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