Nigerian Returnee Shares Ordeal Of Xenophobic Violence In South Africa

A Nigerian returnee from South Africa, Jamyou Sanni, has recounted how he narrowly escaped death after he was allegedly attacked by a group of South African men during his stay in the country.

Sanni shared his experience while speaking on The Nigerian Metre Podcast by Vanguard, where he reflected on xenophobic attacks and the challenges Nigerians face in South Africa.

According to him, the incident occurred after a woman approached him while he was relaxing at a bar, an interaction he believes angered some South African men.

“I have been attacked in every situation possible. I was in a bar one day when a lady came close to me. You know, just a situation where a lady would come close to you because she sees that you are chilling,” he said.

He alleged that after leaving the bar, a group of men ambushed him outside and assaulted him.

“Unknown to me, the South African guys waited for me outside. When I stepped out, they approached me and smashed me to the floor,” he said.

Sanni said he escaped death only after a white South African police officer intervened.

“It was another South African, a white man who is a police officer, that shot from his apartment upstairs, and that made them disperse. They could have killed me that day,” he added.

Despite the experience, Sanni said it would be unfair to portray all South Africans as hostile towards Nigerians, noting that many treated him with kindness during his time in the country.

“Not all South Africans are aggressive or hostile,” he said.

He also rejected claims that Nigerians take jobs or women from South Africans, insisting that such perceptions are inaccurate.

“It’s not true that we take their jobs or women. Throughout my stay, I was never employed. I rather employed people,” he said.

Speaking on relationships, Sanni claimed that many South African women are attracted to Nigerian men because they believe they are treated better.

“As for the women part, more South African women want to get Nigerian men because Nigerian men take care of them more than South African men,” he said.

On employment, he argued that job opportunities exist for those willing to work, alleging that some locals wrongly blame foreigners for their economic challenges.

“As for the job, they just do not want to work. If they want to work, they can get a job. It is sad that what they do now is what they think is a job—chasing foreigners away,” he added.

Sanni further claimed that women occupy a stronger social position than men in South Africa, describing them as having greater influence within society.