7 DAYS ULTIMATUM! Nigerians Storm South African Embassy As Retaliation Threats Explode

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]With due respect, we wish to officially ask all [music] South African businesses, please journalists, do not edit this. Say it the way I'm saying [music] it, that South Africans henceforth should leave Nigeria with all their businesses.

[00:00:15]Nigerian students are not joking about it, and we are giving 7 days [music] ultimatum for this action to be carried out.

[00:00:22]>> Nigeria is home to about 120 South African >> Welcome back to Afriland News. Tensions between Nigeria and South Africa are once again boiling over, and this time the anger is no longer staying online.

[00:00:35]Across different parts of Nigeria, reactions are beginning to spill into the streets as many Nigerians express outrage over the reported treatment of Nigerians living in South Africa. In a fresh development, a Nigerian Student Association has issued a strong warning to South African businesses operating in Nigeria. In a viral clip making rounds online, the group gave what they called a 7-day ultimatum demanding action over the attacks, harassment, and intimidation Nigerians allegedly face in South Africa. The students warned that if nothing changes, South African businesses and interests inside Nigeria could face serious backlash from angry youths. The statement has already sparked heated debate across social media with some Nigerians supporting the move as a form of retaliation, while others fear the situation could escalate into a dangerous diplomatic and economic crisis between Africa's two biggest economies. And the tension didn't stop there. In another clip now circulating online, groups of Nigerian youths were seen on the street stepping on South African flags and chanting against what they described as the brutalization of Nigerians in South Africa. Some protesters warned that if Nigerians continue to be targeted abroad, then South African companies and citizens in Nigeria may also begin facing pressure from angry Nigerians at home.

[00:01:57]>> I lose my mind over Nigeria.

[00:02:52]Many of the protesters accused African leaders of remaining silent for too long whenever xenophobic tensions rise in South Africa. Others argued that ordinary Africans should not become enemies of one another while politicians continue to fail in solving unemployment, crime, and economic hardship across the continent.

[00:03:12]Meanwhile, the protest appeared to be expanding beyond just politics and xenophobia. Popular activist Mamma P also entered the streets alongside a large crowd of supporters, this time targeting telecom giant MTN Group. In the viral footage, she accused the company of exploiting Nigerians through expensive data prices and poor service delivery. She warned that if Nigerians continue to suffer while South African businesses keep making massive profits in the country, protesters could begin occupying MTN offices nationwide.

[00:03:43]>> This struggle today, uh we employ Nigerians around the world to join.

[00:03:49]This struggle affects our daily lives.

[00:03:52]>> Yes.

[00:03:53]>> You know, my leader they've been begging me not to be using vague languages, but I don't know how to talk about an idiot without calling an idiot an idiot.

[00:04:00]>> Yeah.

[00:04:01]>> How do I pay for data? 11,000 every 2 days. That's like in 4 hours. How? I have received suggestions everybody now.

[00:04:12]In fact, the the one I [screaming] paid for Monday, they've sent me a warning what's today.

[00:04:17]>> Wednesday.

[00:04:18]>> It's finished.

[00:04:19]It's theft. This is fraud.

[00:04:22]So, you watching me, the moment you hear go, occupy every MTN office in Nigeria.

[00:04:29]Let them know that we are humans.

[00:04:33]The more you wait for government to hold these frauds accountable, the more you lose a lot. Sir, I don't know if you have seen that young girl that was crying. She's amputated. She was crying that the job she got overseas is a remote job. She lost it because data was waving.

[00:04:50]We buy the data so expensive. Yes, it does not serve us.

[00:04:55]You watching me know I'm saying the truth. So, this is a clarion call [screaming] to every patriotic Nigeria.

[00:05:02]We must begin to stand for ourselves because we we are all we have.

[00:05:07]So, please MTN, let this be noticed. The police and the military will not save you.

[00:05:15]Fix your data or get ready to feed every Nigerian.

[00:05:19]>> Ogbonna.

[00:05:21]>> Data is life. In a time where people cannot afford shop rent, they open shops on Instagram online. On different social medias.

[00:05:32]And now we can't access it because no data.

[00:05:35]Before you Yes, before you are done uploading, 36 gig is gone. How?

[00:05:42]It's theft.

[00:05:44]How can I that don't earn how we spending almost 500k monthly for data.

[00:05:52]In a country that is almost the poorest country in the world.

[00:05:57]So, please, please. Today is just a warning call. The next one The next one is a shutdown call.

[00:06:07]Thank you very much.

[00:06:12]It's crazy.

[00:06:14]>> Greatest of the Nigerian people Greatest of the greatest of the greatest Nigerian people Revolution >> [screaming] >> Revolution Revolution >> Nigerians, it is so sad that Nigeria is the only country in the world where you pay for data for 1 week and you you only get few hours, not even 1 day. Nigeria is the only country in the world where you would subscribe for data for a month and you would be given data for 2 days.

[00:06:43]This has gotten to our necks. These people have been choking us in our necks and enough is enough. There is no way these people will turn all of us to cash cow.

[00:06:53]There is no way these people will turn >> Africa.

[00:06:58]If you travel and you don't use it they don't charge you money.

[00:07:06]But in Nigeria DSTV, I just want to bring this to your to your attention. Come uh nominee because you mentioned telecommunications. That's actually where I came from.

[00:07:20]Before I enter politics.

[00:07:23]DSTV in South Africa if you travel for 1 month, 2 months, 3 months your card will not run.

[00:07:34]Your money remains until you come and and activate it.

[00:07:39]But in Nigeria once you pay if you travel for a week, two weeks, by the time you come back, it has run out.

[00:07:46]So, they are charging you on a daily basis even when even when it is not in use.

[00:07:54]Which chairman is in charge of communications?

[00:08:00]Where is Is he here?

[00:08:07]Is vice chairman here?

[00:08:10]But he has gone to submit his form. But please we we need to invite DSTV. I just remember it. They And then they nominate was mentioned because he also he has been there. He has advised them.

[00:08:23]He has done a lot of work on that. Why should Nigeria be paying for DSTV that they are not using?

[00:08:31]The same way that we are paying for power that we are not using.

[00:08:35]You go to communities, their transformer has stopped working 1 year ago, but the people are still getting bills on a monthly basis.

[00:08:43]The same way you are not using DSTV, you have traveled for holiday with your families. By the time you come back, everything have been consumed. But it doesn't happen in South Africa where they come from.

[00:08:55]So, these are things I don't know how you advise them. Listen to me.

[00:08:59]Yeah, you you were the consultant to telecommunication.

[00:09:03]Uh-huh. So, I don't know how you advise them that they will continue to rob Nigeria and cheat Nigeria.

[00:09:11]And then you are here before us.

[00:09:12]>> Her comments immediately triggered strong reactions online, especially among frustrated subscribers who have long complained about rising data costs, network issues, and disappearing subscriptions. For many angry youths, the growing frustration is no longer only about xenophobia in South Africa.

[00:09:30]It is now becoming tied to wider economic resentment toward major South African corporations operating in Nigeria. And as emotions continue to rise on both sides, many Africans are now asking one critical question. Could this growing tension between Nigerians and South Africans eventually spiral into something much bigger across the continent? As the situation continues to escalate online and on the streets, many Nigerians are now beginning to remember a very tense chapter in the relationship between both countries. During the wave of xenophobic attacks that took place under the administration of former Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, anger also spilled into Nigeria with several South African businesses becoming targets of retaliation by furious youths. At the time, viral scenes showed protesters storming and vandalizing stores linked to South African companies, including branches associated with major retail and telecom brands.

[00:10:26]>> of what has been happening.

[00:10:28]>> South African franchise Shoprite was among those targeted. The company closed several of its stores due to the damage.

[00:10:38]In the capital Abuja, clashes at a Shoprite supermarket there brought traffic to a standstill after demonstrators burned tires and threw rocks at the store.

[00:10:51]In Lagos, groups were seen stopping cars and attacking drivers believed to be South African.

[00:10:58]Others called for a stronger response from Nigeria's government.

[00:11:02]>> Let me use our leader Buhari. You should You should not keep quiet. The first thing you need to talk. You need to give Nigerians come out and speak to Nigerians and say, "This is what we are doing." When you keep quiet, you leave no options for the people to do something. And when the people want to do something, they're not going to do They're not going to carry out a peaceful protest, per se. They're going to want to react.

[00:11:19]>> Our president, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, should do something urgent to save lives.

[00:11:28]Because if this thing continue like this, it may cause war.

[00:11:35]>> Nigeria has stepped up security around South African stores >> [music] >> amid concern that anger could again simmer over into violence.

[00:11:43]Meanwhile, the >> The unrest triggered fears of a diplomatic breakdown between both nations, forcing authorities to step in quickly before the crisis spiraled further out of control. Now, as fresh outrage grows once again, many Nigerians are warning that they hope history does not repeat itself. Some voices online say they do not want innocent Nigerians, South Africans, businesses, workers, or ordinary citizens to become victims of rising anger and emotional retaliation.

[00:12:11]Others, however, continued silence over the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa is what keeps fueling public frustration. And before we continue, if you believe in balanced African stories, real discussions, and investigative updates like this, make sure you subscribe to Afri Lens News and help us get to 1,000 subscribers. Your support helps us continue bringing more in-depth African news, street reactions, and untold stories from across the continent. And as these tensions continue to dominate conversations online, another viral clip has now added even more fire to the debate. A Nigerian woman directly called out one of the leaders associated with the March and March Movement in South Africa, mocking his threats and challenging his authority. In the video, the woman accused the movement's leaders of targeting foreigners instead of addressing deeper economic and political problems facing South Africa. She openly declared that nobody is leaving and dared the group to carry out their threats, calling the leader lazy and accusing him of using foreigners as scapegoats for unemployment and hardship.

[00:13:25]>> uh, [snorts] 2026.

[00:13:30]About Nigeria from now 24 May 2026.

[00:13:36]>> Mhm.

[00:13:39]So, what will happen? We are waiting. We are not going anywhere.

[00:13:43]They are just making noise.

[00:13:46]If all the foreigners leave our country, what will you do? Will you start business? Will you start working? We all know that you are lazy. You cannot do anything. You cannot run any business.

[00:13:55]You cannot work. So, why are you destroying people that are working? Why are you destroying people that are doing their business?

[00:14:00]Uh, this lazy old man.

[00:14:05]So, it's now that you remember that you are in South Africa that you need to work.

[00:14:10]Mhm?

[00:14:12]You need to work.

[00:14:14]You are not serious. You need to do business, your own business in your own country. Now.

[00:14:20]You are not serious.

[00:14:23]So, I wonder we will go you will feel relaxed to ask for the 5 million for food only.

[00:14:31]What fool like you. You are shameless.

[00:14:35]Then go, go, go, go, go. We are not going anywhere. Nigeria is not going anywhere.

[00:14:39]Let's see what we what what you will do.

[00:14:44]>> Her comments quickly drew mixed reactions online. While some Africans applauded her confidence and defended the rights of immigrants living legally in South Africa, others argued that frustrations among struggling South Africans should not simply be dismissed.

[00:14:59]What is becoming increasingly clear is that emotions on both sides are growing stronger by the day, and social media is now turning every statement, protest, and reaction into a continental debate watched by millions across Africa.

[00:15:15]Meanwhile, the political divide inside South Africa itself is also becoming more visible with some leaders openly rejecting the narrative that foreigners, especially Nigerians, are the main cause of the country's problems. One of the loudest voices speaking out is Julius Malema, who has once again defended African immigrants and accused the government of refusing to take responsibility for its own failures. In a viral clip now circulating online, Malema argued that South African leaders are choosing to blame Nigerians and other foreign nationals instead of confronting the real issues facing the country: crime, unemployment, corruption, poverty, and insecurity.

[00:15:55]According to him, politicians are using foreigners as convenient scapegoats while avoiding accountability for years of failed governance. Malema went even further by challenging those who constantly claim Nigerians are responsible for crime in South Africa.

[00:16:10]He questioned why many of the country's most dangerous crimes continue to happen in areas where there are very few Nigerians living. He argued that if Nigerian Nigerians were truly the root cause of crime, then places dominated almost entirely by South Africans should logically be crime-free. Instead, he claimed that South Africans themselves are responsible for many of the robberies, assaults, gender-based violence cases, and violent crimes happening across the country.

[00:16:39]>> Some fool is going to say, "But these Nigerians are committing crime." Fine.

[00:16:46]If Nigerians are committing crime, a lot of them are in Hillbrow. Why are the soldiers not in Hillbrow, but in Cape Town among South Africans?

[00:17:00]There are no soldiers on Nigerians.

[00:17:03]There are no soldiers on Mozambicans.

[00:17:06]There are soldiers on South Africans themselves, because crime is committed by us. We are the ones who are selling drugs to our own people. We are the ones who are beating up our own women, were the ones who are killing each other.

[00:17:24]And then you hide behind Nigerians. Stop being cowards. Take responsibility. Stop crying.

[00:17:32]>> His comments immediately sparked heated reactions online with supporters praising him for speaking honestly about xenophobia while critics accused him of ignoring the frustrations of unemployed South Africans who believe immigration is worsening economic pressure. And as the debate continued, another emotional clip surfaced online. This time from a Nigerian man directly accusing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa of fueling the tension through what he described as weak leadership and dangerous rhetoric. In the video, the man questioned how Ramaphosa could publicly claim that his hands were tied and that there was little he could do to stop the attacks and intimidation targeting foreigners. According to the speaker, such statements only embolden angry mobs and give the impression that attacks against Nigerians are being tolerated. The man went on to accuse the South African government of indirectly encouraging hostility against Nigerians by failing to strongly condemn violent threats and by allowing anti-immigrant rhetoric to grow unchecked. Visibly emotional, he warned that if more Nigerians continue to lose their lives in South Africa, retaliation could begin spreading in Nigeria as well. He specifically referenced the killing of a Nigerian surgeon who reportedly traveled to South Africa to work and build a better life, claiming the man was killed by a local mechanic.

[00:18:52]>> So, President Ramaphosa, today you come out to say that you don't want fight.

[00:18:57]>> [music] >> You don't want the way your people are bullying other foreigners from South Africa.

[00:19:02]You don't want the way they are bullying Nigerians, hitting them.

[00:19:06]Few days ago, a surgeon was killed by a mechanic. [music] A surgeon, someone who went to school, spent over 10 years, was killed by a common mechanic.

[00:19:19]You think we are going to take it likely? And when we talk, your boys, your children, [music] your South Africans will come out to tell us [ __ ] Like I told you, like we said earlier, you are the one who started this battle. [music] >> What are the issues in South Africa? The president of South Africa did [music] campaign openly that foreigners were taking the jobs that South Africa people could do.

[00:19:45]That is why his hands and his legs are tied.

[00:19:49]What is my response? These Nigerians who are in South Africa, they are not there on holiday.

[00:19:55]They are there to work and to earn.

[00:19:59]I will kind of job they are there doing.

[00:20:00]They are two categories.

[00:20:02]Many are traders.

[00:20:04]Others are doing maybe some high-skill jobs.

[00:20:09]So, my view is that it is time to reciprocate.

[00:20:14]This senate should move, should adopt a position that MTN, a South African company that is cutting away millions of dollars from Nigeria every day, that Nigeria nationalize it and withdraw its license.

[00:20:34]So that Nigeria company can take over the MTN business and recruit more people. Those coming from South Africa will find good jobs working with the company that will replace MTN.

[00:20:49]And I know that South Africa president has interest in MTN.

[00:20:54]The second is that we ask the Minister of Communication of the Federal Government to revoke the DSTV, which is also a South Africa company that is cutting away millions of dollars, even abusing resorting to practices that would not even be accepted in South Africa.

[00:21:15]I don't want this Senate to be shedding tears, to sympathize with those who have died.

[00:21:20]>> [music] >> We didn't come here to shed tears, and I'm not going to shed tears.

[00:21:25]If you hit me, I hit you.

[00:21:27]I think it is appropriate in diplomacy.

[00:21:29]It's an economic struggle.

[00:21:31]What the black South Africans are saying is that Nigerians are taking their jobs.

[00:21:36]Okay, Nigerians come home and take over the job of MTN. Nigerians come home and take over the job of DSTV.

[00:21:45]When we hit back, the president of South South Africa will not only talk, he will go on his knees to recognize we >> Cyril Ramaphosa, you came out and made a video. You said that the reason the South Africans are not getting jobs is because [music] the foreigners are so much in your country. So, the foreigners are the ones that are collecting the jobs.

[00:22:09]Now, this is the result. You are claiming that you don't want this. There is no way they can chase all the foreigners. You are the one that started this battle. As a president of a a nation, you come out to say this. This is an incitement. Of course, you know Nigerians are always ready for everything. You think because we fight ourselves here in Nigeria, we also not going to support our people. We support every Nigerian all over the world.

[00:22:35]Yes, our Senator Adams Oshiomhole, he came out to tell you, "Yes, if you choose battle, we are ready for battle. You choose peace, we are ready for peace. But of course, it is obvious that you chose the battle. That is why you refuse to stop this. It is escalating every day by day. Every day by day." But here is a warning, like I said in my recent video, "If any Nigerian is taken down, we will take any South African we see here down.

[00:23:05]>> The speaker described the incident as proof that ordinary Nigerians abroad are increasingly becoming vulnerable targets amid rising tensions. As more clips continue flooding social media from both Nigeria and South Africa, what began as online outrage is now evolving into a deeply emotional continental conversation, one touching on migration, unemployment, leadership failure, crime, identity, and the future of African unity itself. And the outrage is no longer limited to social media videos and online arguments. In another dramatic development, a group of Nigerian youths reportedly marched to the South African Embassy in Nigeria demanding immediate action over the treatment of Nigerians living in South Africa. In the viral footage, protesters could be seen gathering outside the Embassy premises chanting and insisting that South African officials working there should vacate the area if attacks and intimidation against Nigerians continue abroad. Tensions appeared high as security presence around the Embassy increased with Nigerian police officers stationed around the compound to prevent the situation from escalating further.

[00:24:13]The protesters repeatedly called for Embassy representatives to come outside and address them directly. According to some of the voices heard in the video, they accused officials inside the Embassy of remaining silent while Nigerians were allegedly being threatened and attacked in South Africa.

[00:24:29]Some demonstrators even warned that if no official response was given, they could barricade the premises and prevent movement in or out of the Embassy grounds.

[00:24:40]>> You We feel like it seems as if you won't come out. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Officer, hold on.

[00:24:45]What I'm saying is simple. Nigerians are here in your commission and you seem more disrespectful to Nigerian citizens.

[00:24:50]>> This is Nigerians outside your Embassy.

[00:24:55]Thank you.

[00:24:57]>> If you want them to come outside, don't worry.

[00:25:12]>> He said she's afraid.

[00:25:14]And I told her she has the Nigerian police here. And we are not as violent as that.

[00:25:21]We are not violent people like the South African.

[00:25:24]And I made that very And I made it very clear to her.

[00:25:55]They are not hoodlums. They are not touts.

[00:25:58]They are comrades.

[00:26:34]Okay. This is South African ambassador to Nigeria in Abuja when few Nigerian youths visited the South African High Commission in Abuja. Now, I love how this Kenyan blog put the caption. I love how they tagged it. Nigerians call for South Africans to leave their country, too. Now, the thing is here, Nigerians are not violent people. In fact, Nigerians are one people that will always respect foreigners. We value foreigners more than our own. An average Nigerian will always be loyal to a foreigner and be disloyal to their own father and their mother. An average Nigerian can unalive their own parents just to do the bidding of a foreigner.

[00:27:13][clears throat] You understand? So, Nigerians will always love, cherish, and respect foreigners. But, at this point in time, given the fact that South Africans are now so disrespectful that disrespecting children, they're disrespecting everything that other African countries have done to them, and they're disrespecting blood, that they are now unaliving other black African immigrants in their country, Nigerians in Nigeria and other African country need to start paying South Africans in their country with the same coin that they are paying to Nigerians in South Africa. The same thing that South Africans are doing to Nigerians in South Africa, Nigerians need to start doing the exactly the same thing to South Africans in Nigeria.

[00:27:53]Because at the end of the day, we need to let South Africans know that that beat they think they're dancing to, we are the ones playing the drum. We need to let them know that the Surugede dance that they are dancing, we are the gods that actually It actually invented that Surugede dance. They need to know. They are fighting because they think that that immigrants are taking their jobs, whereas it's the few Oyibo in their country controlling their economy. Our own Oyibo no they own our country, but now they control everything where they go on for our country. And we are not unaliving any black African immigrant, but they think they have the moral right to do that. So, we need to pay them in their own coin. So, this is not me preaching violence, but it's for you people to understand that that thing that South Africa doing, we should also do it. We can do it. Even do it better.

[00:28:41]Yes, there might be a lot of Nigerians in South Africa. It does not mean that there are no South Africans in Nigeria.

[00:28:47]and there are more Nigerians in Nigeria than South Africans in Nigeria. So, we might as well do the same. And the energy I got earlier with the this 12 take it back movement revolutionary and the revolution now people, I don't like it. I mean the comrades, I expected a lot more people. I don't know where you people are going to import them from.

[00:29:07]You want to import them from Sokoto or you want to go to Borno State, the headquarters of prodigal son. Import prodigal sons from Borno, bring people around. There need to be proper protest in in South African High Commission in Abuja. There has to be a proper one, a loud protest that will be felt across Africa. The South Africans need to feel it. Maybe that's when African leaders will come out of their cocoon and start making some reasonable decisions like men, like human beings.

[00:29:33]>> But amid the anger and emotional reactions, not everyone shared the same perspective. Another viral clip featured a young Nigerian woman offering a very different viewpoint on the situation. In the video, she questioned why Africans would continue staying in countries where they feel hated, threatened, or unwanted. According to her, if a country no longer feels safe or welcoming, then returning home may sometimes be the wiser and more peaceful option. She encouraged Nigerians abroad to consider rebuilding opportunities back home rather than risking their lives in environments filled with hostility and uncertainty.

[00:30:09]>> Because I've been seeing videos circulating on the internet, they said they sent out airplanes for Nigerians to come back from South Africa.

[00:30:18]And some Nigerians decide to stay back in South Africa.

[00:30:21]So, those videos I usually see of Nigerians saying, "Oh, we're not being treated well in South Africa." Why you guys stay there?

[00:30:29]If you're not being treated well in a country, what is the best thing for you to do?

[00:30:35]Is it not to come back?

[00:30:38]Is it not to come back home?

[00:30:41]So, when you feel like a country is unsafe for you, when you feel that like the people of that particular country are not treating you well, what do you do? You pack your bags and go back home.

[00:30:52]So, I don't see any reason why I will see videos of South Africans as xenophobic, they are xenophobic, but you are still in their country. As make it make sense to me.

[00:31:02]You are still in their country. Like Ah!

[00:31:06]Make it make sense. How come?

[00:31:08]If they are actually so xenophobic like you say also dangerous like you think, what are you still doing there?

[00:31:16]Please come back home.

[00:31:17]>> At this point, what started as isolated street protests and online outrage is now turning into a much wider African conversation. One fueled by pain, anger, fear, frustration, and years of unresolved tensions between citizens and governments across the continent. Many Africans are now asking difficult questions. Why do ordinary people continue becoming enemies of one another while leaders fail to solve unemployment, insecurity, corruption, and economic hardship? Why are immigrants blamed every time systems begin to fail? And most importantly, can Africa truly move forward if Africans continue fighting fellow Africans instead of confronting the deeper problems affecting their nations? While emotions remain high on both sides, many are also warning that retaliation and violence could easily spiral out of control if leaders fail to act responsibly and calm tensions before things become worse. Innocent Nigerians in South Africa, innocent South Africans in Nigeria, workers, students, families, and small business owners could all become victims if this situation continues escalating. For now, millions across Africa are watching closely to see whether both governments will step in decisively, restore calm, and prevent another dangerous chapter in the history between Nigeria and South Africa. And what do you think? Should Nigerians retaliate against South African businesses and citizens in Nigeria, or should African leaders focus on diplomacy and long-term solutions instead of allowing tensions to grow?

[00:32:50]Drop your opinion in the comment section below. If you enjoyed this report, don't forget to like, subscribe, and help us get Afrilinks news to 1,000 subscribers.

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