We “ll go after your businesses in Nigeria, Militants tell South Africa

• give marching order to 18 South African firms

Militant groups in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria have warned of imminent attacks on all South Africans business interest in the region if the xenophobic attacks on innocent Nigerians living in South Africa continues.

In a joint petition to the South African High Commission in Nigeria and signed by General John Duku of the Niger Delta Watchdogs, General Ekpo Ekpo of Niger Delta Volunteers and General Hart Bradford of the Niger Delta Strike Force, the group said they could no longer sit and watch innocent Nigerians being slaughtered in South Africa.

The petition, made available to National Daily, reads “Our attention has been drawn to the series of unprovoked attack, looting, shutting down of business offices, killing and maiming of Nigerian nationals living in South Africa.”

The militants maintained that the South African government and her citizens have a number of businesses in Nigeria, going about their normal businesses peacefully, making huge profits and living in a very friendly environment with Nigerians.

It has therefore asked about 18 firms supposedly owned by South African operating in the region to leave or risk being attacked.

According to the militants, “It is so regrettable that a country and nationals that had enjoyed the greatest affection of Nigerians was now repaying such hospitality with mindless killing and brutality.

To this end, the militants urged the Nigerian government to shut all the business premises owned by South Africans such as MTN, Multi-choice, Shoprite, Eskom Nigeria, South African Breweries (SAB Miller) and others. “Failure to do this within one month, we shall commence attack on the firms.”