NUSA cries out as Nigerians in South Africa are kidnapped for ransom
By Peter Ejiofor
The Nigerian community in South Africa says it is disturbed by the new and increasing development in Kurman, Northern Cape Province where Nigerians are kidnapped for ransom or threatened to leave the area.
Mr Collins Mgbo, the President of Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA), the umbrella body of Nigerians living in that country made the disclosure on Monday in a statement emailed from Johannesburg.
Mgbo said: “Nigerians are worried with the new normal where a Nigerian would be kidnapped and ransom demanded or the victim is beaten to near death.
“In Kurman, a group of South Africans had kidnapped a Nigerian and demanded R10,000 in ransom or else every Nigerian in the area should leave.’’
The NUSA president said the development was becoming increasingly traumatic for Nigerians, accusing the Police of being aware of the situation but doing little to either stop the situation or arrest the culprits.
“We are again pleading with the government of South Africa to help our community out of this miserable situation on this Human Rights Month as this is totally a violation of the human rights of vulnerable people from another country.
“We are, at the same time, calling on the Nigerian Mission in South Africa to intervene and have a round table with its counterpart in Pretoria to look into our matter.
“Nigeria Union is using this medium to appeal to every Nigerian living in South Africa to be law-abiding as they go about their daily businesses and be worthy ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ he said.
Mgbo said the union would not forget in a jiffy that a couple of weeks ago, a Nigerian was killed in that province and till today, the culprits were still at large with little effort from the law enforcement agencies in the area to bring them to justice.
“Two days ago, a gang kidnapped a Nigerian in Kurman, this is after a popular businessman was kidnapped in Johannesburg for over a week now without a trace of his whereabouts till date.
