President Bola Tinubu has declined to personally receive a special delegation sent by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, amid renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. The delegation, led by South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on Friday, July 24, seeking an audience with the President. Punch Tinubu instead directed the team to meet with Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye. Punch

Diplomatic sources said Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is attending engagements in Addis Ababa, advised that it was not an appropriate time for Tinubu to personally receive the delegation while attacks on Nigerians and their businesses remained ongoing. Punch Tinubu has reportedly made ratification and implementation of the Early Warning Mechanism — a bilateral memorandum of understanding designed to strengthen intelligence-sharing and rapid response to prevent xenophobic attacks — a precondition for further high-level diplomatic engagement between both countries. ThisNigeria

The development follows the reported killing of Nigerian citizen Chika Ibe, who was allegedly taken from his residence in Bellville, Cape Town, and tortured to death by members of the South African Police Service. Information Nigeria At the recent 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Lungi, Sierra Leone, Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing Tinubu, condemned the attacks and pledged that Nigeria would push for stronger continental measures against xenophobia at the African Union. The Sun Nigeria Shettima disclosed that the Federal Government had evacuated 1,490 Nigerians affected by previous xenophobic violence. The Sun Nigeria

Observers believe South Africa's diplomatic outreach may be driven partly by concerns over the potential impact of deteriorating relations on South African investments and businesses operating in Nigeria. Advocatengr As of the time of reporting, the outcome of a phone call reportedly initiated by Ramaphosa over the weekend remained unclear. The Sun Nigeria