by Ranti Joseph

The Nigerian Union in South Africa has said that Nigerians lost more than N84million to xenophobic attacks.

The President of Nigerian Union in South Africa, Ikechukwu Anyene, on Saturday disclosed this during a phone interview from Pretoria, South Africa, that the losses were initially put at N21million.

“The Nigerian Union in South Africa has completed documentation of the losses suffered by Nigerians to xenophobic attacks.

“Nigerians lost more than 4.6 million Rand or N84m during the attacks.

A mechanic workshop owned by a Nigerian in Jeppes, near Johannesburg, for example was completely burnt with 11 cars inside it.

“The loss is put at more than one million Rand or N20m,” he said.

Anyene said the Union had compiled the losses and given the list to Nigeria’s Consul-General to South Africa.

He said Nigerian victims of the attacks needed urgent assistance to re-settle because many had lost their means of livelihood.

Anyene said, “The Consul-General has travelled to Nigeria and we appeal to the Federal Government to do something urgent to assist Nigerians affected by the attacks.

“We have made representations to the Federal government. We are also hoping that working with the South African government, there will be a way to compensate the affected Nigerians so as to enable them goes back to their normal lives.

“The tension is less now. The South African government has come out in full force to check the attacks.”

Anyene said the losses suffered by Nigerians were in the form of vandalised mechanic workshops, burnt mechanic workshops, looted shops as well as stolen and burnt cars.

“More than 50 Nigerians were displaced during the attacks. The Union has assisted them to return home.

“The Union is also planning to assist a family to move to a new accommodation because the present home is not safe,” he said.

He said the Union carried out a proper documentation of the attacks, with pictures and other relevant documents stored to capture the incidents.