CLAIM: Nigerian Senate Threatens To Retaliate Against South Africans Over Xenophobic Attacks
On May 5, 2026, an X user @azania1023 claimed that the Nigerian Senate is threatening South Africans living in other African countries. The post had a 2 minute, 30 seconds video of Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, speaking during a plenary, it was captioned, “Nigerian Senate is threatening South Africans living in other African Countries. “We know where they( South Africans) are, not only here in Nigeria but all over Africa and we can take this fight to their territory.”
When this report was published the claim had about 220,200 views and over 1,200 replies, reposts, quotes, likes, and bookmarks.
VERIFICATION
In April 2026, a fresh wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa triggered a continental diplomatic crisis. This current violence claimed the lives of two Nigerian nationals, Nnaemeka Matthew Andrew and Amamiro Chidiebere Emmanuel. They died in separate incidents involving South African security personnel, the Tshwane Metro Police and the South African National Defence Force, SANDF, respectively.
It was against this backdrop that the Nigerian Senate convened to deliberate on the crisis. During plenary, which is where the video in the claim was culled from, Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, was quoted saying: “If these things continue, we have alternatives, we have options, and therefore, these words should be sent across South Africa. We know where South Africans are, not only in Nigeria but all over Africa, and we can take this fight to their territory.”
Ningi’s statement articulated the retaliatory option available to Nigeria and Africans broadly, but this was a submission during plenary, not an official Senate resolution. The Senate’s official response was very different from the heated statements online. Lawmakers have called for diplomatic talks with South Africa, demanded justice for victims, proposed better protection for Nigerians abroad, pushed for accountability through ECOWAS and the African Union, and asked the Senate President to lead a delegation to South Africa. These are diplomatic actions, not threats against civilians.
Subsequently, the Nigerian government has summoned South Africa’s Acting High Commissioner in Abuja to formally convey its concerns, while diplomatic engagement also included talks between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and her South African counterpart. At least 130 Nigerians have registered for voluntary evacuation from South Africa.
CONCLUSION
The claim that the Nigerian Senate is threatening South Africans living in other African countries is MISLEADING. The statement was made by a single senator during a plenary debate, and does not reflect the Senate’s formal resolutions, which called for diplomacy, legal accountability and diaspora protection for Nigerians.
