Nigerians in South Africa have raised alarm over fresh xenophobic attacks allegedly spearheaded by anti-migrant group, Operation Dudula, with reports of women being forced to deliver babies on bare hospital floors after being denied medical care.
Leaders of Nigerian communities said members of the group had been harassing foreigners, blocking access to public hospitals, and intimidating patients, sparking fears of another wave of violence.
In a viral video, one of the group’s leaders was seen ordering non-South Africans out of a public health facility, warning that foreigners would be checked and removed.
“If you know yourself that you are not a South African, please stand up. Stand up right now. Don’t try us because we are going to check everybody,” he declared while marching them out of the facility.
President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Frank Onyekwelu, described the situation as a new wave of xenophobic attacks. He lamented that women were being left to give birth without medical assistance while patients were being discharged untreated.
“Imagine a woman giving birth on a bare floor in front of a hospital without a midwife. Patients are being forced out without care. Some may just die like chickens,” he said, urging Nigeria and South Africa to step in diplomatically.
The President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Smart Nwobi, condemned the harassment, citing a case of a nursing mother who was barred from immunising her child. He warned that Operation Dudula’s activities, though illegal, had reached alarming levels.
Nwobi explained that some members of the group were not even South Africans by birth, accusing them of criminality under the guise of activism. He revealed that Nigerian leaders had reported the matter to the embassy and that legal action was being considered.
Other Nigerians narrated similar ordeals, describing the group as criminals. Some said politicians, including Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters, had also called for investigations into Operation Dudula’s activities.
A recent arrival in South Africa, Ify Eze, recounted being called “a crazy Nigerian” by an immigration officer, describing the hostility as overwhelming.
Former Nigerian diplomats also condemned the attacks. Ex-Consul to Cameroon, Rasheed Akinkuolie, described the actions as “illegal, unauthorised thuggery,” likening them to remnants of apartheid. Retired Ambassador Ogbole Amedu-Ode warned that the crisis could strain Nigeria–South Africa relations.
Both diplomats urged the Nigerian government to summon the South African Ambassador and demand urgent intervention, while stressing that Pretoria must guarantee the safety of all residents, including Nigerians.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that African Ambassadors in South Africa are already engaging the government to find a lasting solution.