Senate Asks Executive To Issue South Africa Travel Alert. – TheNigerialawyer

The Nigerian Senate has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari
administration to issue travel alerts to Nigerians travelling to
South Africa in the light of several questionable killings of
Nigerians living in the country.

The senate made the call on Wednesday, while asking the South
African government to investigate the death of Nigerians who have
been killed in questionable situation in the country, according to
a Premium Times report.

Elizabeth Ndibuisi-Chukwu, the Deputy Director-General of the
Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), was allegedly
murdered at Emperor’s Palace Hotel and Convention Centre, South
Africa on June 13 where she lodged.

She was attending the conference of the African Insurance
Organisation (AIO). Initially, it was suspected that she died of
cardiac arrest.

In his lead, Mr Abaribe said the insinuation that she died of
cardiac arrest was proved wrong following the autopsy report
released on June 20 by the South African Department of Home Affairs
which indicated in a death certificate that the death was unnatural
and suspected to be murder.

He said the suspicion that she could have been murdered was
further confirmed in a separate document issued by the South
Africa, Department of Health on June 27 where it corroborated the
autopsy report and revealed that she was strangled.

“In a curious twist, the hotel allegedly was reluctant to
cooperate with the law enforcement agencies to unravel the
circumstances surrounding her death. This is not the first time
Nigerians have died in suspicious circumstances in South Africa,”
he said.

Lawmakers who took turns to condemn the incident stressed the
need for prompt investigation. Some senators also suggested that
the South African Ambassador and the Nigerian Consulate be summoned
for an explanation.

Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP, Anambra) urged the Senate to invite
representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain how
much investigation has been done. He also asked the Senate to send
a “strongly-worded” letter to the South African government seeking
details of Nigerians that have been killed in the country.

On his part, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, recalled that a
similar issue was debated in the eight Senate and an ad-hoc
committee sent to visit South Africa with a message that Nigeria as
a country was tired of the killings.“We believe that the
relationship between the two countries must be better. There must
be respect for each other.

“South African businesses flourish more than most Nigerian
businesses. South Africans are safe and are protected in Nigeria.
There is no need for any South African to take the life of a
Nigerian or any citizen. Nigeria is a frontline state. We deserve
respect and understanding.

“Our next set of contingents in the Pan-African Parliament must
ensure that this issue is brought to the fore. We don’t take the
law into our hands in the word of retaliation but we should not be
taken for granted. We have taken these killings for too long and we
are not going to take it anymore,” he said.

The senate commended the federal government for its prompt
action in seeking South Africa’s explanation of the death of Mrs
Ndubuisi and urged the government not to relent in its efforts to
unravel the circumstances of her unfortunate demise.

The senate also resolved to send a “high-powered delegation to
the parliament of South Africa and express displeasure as well as
ask their government to do something to stop the killing”.

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