A police spokesman told reporters in Abuja on Tuesday that officers have been ordered to arrest anyone targeting South African nationals or businesses. The warning came 48 hours after the Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbeyemi, convened an emergency meeting with senior commanders following reports of retaliatory strikes in Lagos and Port Harcourt.
IGP Orders Emergency Security Measures
Egbeyemi instructed commanders across Nigeria's 36 states to intensify patrols near South African companies. The order covers major commercial hubs including Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, where several shop owners of South African descent reported damage to property last week.
The police hierarchy also issued a directive banning private security firms from hiring civilians to "guard" South African premises, citing concerns that armed neighbourhood watch groups could inflame tensions further.
Three Arrested in Lagos; Investigation Ongoing
Authorities in Lagos confirmed that three men aged between 22 and 35 were taken into custody on Monday evening. They face charges under the Miscellaneous Offences Act following complaints from a South African-owned retail chain operating on Victoria Island.
A police statement released in Lagos on Tuesday named one of the suspects as Chidi Okonkwo, a former logistics worker who allegedly organised a group to surround a supermarket owned by a South African investor last Thursday night.
Diplomatic fallout and corporate response
The South African High Commission in Abuja issued a statement expressing concern over the safety of its citizens. High Commissioner Mlamleli Nkosi said her office has received 14 formal complaints since the beginning of the month, up from three in the entire previous quarter.
Several South African multinationals operating in Nigeria have temporarily scaled back operations. MTN Nigeria confirmed it has postponed an expansion project in the Niger Delta region, citing "operating environment concerns." The telecom giant employs over 2,000 Nigerians and contributes roughly 65 billion naira annually in tax revenue to the federal government.
Broader Continental Tensions Surface
The warning from Nigerian police arrives amid wider reports of violence targeting African migrants in South Africa. Those incidents, which primarily affected citizens from Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique, drew swift condemnation from the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa.
AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki called for "restraint and dialogue" between affected nations during a press conference last Friday. The union has not yet commented specifically on the situation in Nigeria, though diplomats in Addis Ababa said a statement was expected before the end of the week.
Community Leaders Push for Calm
Leaders of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged both governments to resolve the dispute quickly. President Tokunbo Emoru told journalists that Nigerian businesses employing South African executives face daily uncertainty. "Investors need certainty," he said. "Every day this lingers, we lose ground to competitors in Kenya and Rwanda who are courting the same capital."
The Nigerian police warning carries legal weight. Officers who fail to enforce the order face disciplinary action under the Police Act, a senior official confirmed on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, the South African High Commission said it was in direct contact with 87 citizens still inside Nigeria to monitor their safety.
The Nigeria Police Force has given itself until the end of October to submit a full report on all incidents involving South African nationals to the Federal Ministry of Justice. That deadline will determine whether criminal charges proceed against those already in custody and whether additional security arrangements will be needed ahead of the festive season, when commercial activity in Lagos typically doubles.
