Tinubu Declines South African Envoy Meeting

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly declined to receive a special envoy sent by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, amid renewed concerns over persistent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa.

The delegation, led by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on Friday, 24 July, carrying what diplomatic sources described as an important message for the Nigerian President.

The development follows the reported death of Chika Ibe, a Nigerian citizen who was allegedly taken from his residence in Bellville, Cape Town, and tortured to death by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS).

At the recent ECOWAS summit in Sierra Leone, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Tinubu, condemned the attacks and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to pushing for stronger African Union measures to combat xenophobic attacks across the continent.

According to diplomatic sources, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu advised against the meeting, insisting that South Africa should first ratify and present the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Early Warning Mechanism (EWM) before any further diplomatic engagement.

The agreement, signed by both countries in October 2025, is designed to strengthen cooperation on protecting citizens, preventing xenophobic attacks, and improving the handling of consular matters.

Nigerian officials also believe the agreement could strengthen compensation claims for victims affected by previous attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Neither the Nigerian Presidency nor the South African government had officially commented on the reported decision at the time of filing this report.

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