Kabiru Bala was addressing protesters outside the Nigerian Embassy in Pretoria on Wednesday afternoon.
Civil society organisation leaders speak to Nigerian Ambassador Kabiru Bala and hand a memorandum over to him on 23 September 2020. Picture: Abigail Javier/EWN
PRETORIA – The Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa on Wednesday that he would not allow Nigerians to be profiled as criminals in South Africa.
Kabiru Bala was addressing protesters outside the Nigerian Embassy in Pretoria on Wednesday afternoon.
Several organisations and ordinary citizens called for mass action against illegal immigrants and what they call the abuse of South Africans’ diplomacy.
The group also marched to Zimbabwe’s embassy under the hashtag: #PutSouthAfricaFirst”
GALLERY: Put South Africa First protest in Pretoria CBD
Bala said while he welcomed the memorandum and the issues raised by demonstrators, it was unfair that only nationals from the West African country were targeted during Wednesday’s protest.
“I am telling you that we don’t accept the profiling of Nigerians as criminals. I will never accept the situation where you will tell me all Nigerians are criminals in this country. That is unacceptable – I will never accept it.”
