TheCable

Orji Uzor Kalu, senate whip, says South African businesses in the country should be shut down if their home government does not stop the killing of Nigerians.

In the recent rounds of xenophobic attacks, shops and property belonging to Nigerians were looted and destroyed by some hoodlums in South Africa.

The South African police have been ineffective in protecting Nigerians and their businesses  in the country.

In a statement on Tuesday, Kalu described the killing of Nigerians in South Africa as “ill-conceived , disheartening and wicked”.

The lawmaker asked the federal government to apply stiffer measures to stop the killing of citizens in South Africa.

“If the South African government does not do more to protect the lives of Nigerians, there should be no reason to allow them to operate freely in Nigeria. All their enterprises deserve to be closed down, including MTN, DSTV, Shoprite among others,” he said.

“In the spirit of brotherhood, we have supported them. Our doors have always been opened but it’s time we retaliate by shutting our doors.

“The gruesome killings, looting, arson of properties belonging to Nigerians and attack of Nigerian Embassy in South Africa is ill-conceived, disheartening and wicked.

“How can any sensible person attack and burn a fellow human being just because he or she has a feeling to do so?

“Those mindless criminals who attacked and prevented law abiding Nigerians to freely conduct their businesses must be made to pay for their crimes. Arresting them is not enough.”

There have been reprisal attacks targeting South African businesses in the country. A protester was shot dead after violence broke out at a Shoprite outlet in Lekki, Lagos on Tuesday.