A coalition of Niger Delta militants, on Wednesday, threatened to blow up Multichoice, owner of DSTV; MTN, Shoprite and 16 other major South African investments in Nigeria if the Federal Government failed to shut them down within one month.
The militant groups, who were reacting to the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and their business premises in South Africa, gave one month ultimatum to South Africans living in Nigeria to leave the country and relocate elsewhere.
The threat from the militants groups – Niger Delta Watchdogs, Niger Delta Volunteers and Niger Delta Strike Force – is contained in a copy of a letter, addressed to the Office of the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria.
Signatories to the letter are ‘General’ John Duku (Niger Delta Watchdogs); ‘General’ Ekpo Ekpo (Niger Delta Volunteer); and ‘General’ Hart Bradford (Niger Delta Strike Force).
According to the letter titled ‘Attack and killings of Nigerians living in South Africa’, the militants expressed anger that the South African Police were shielding criminals and joining them (criminals) to kill Nigerians.
Apart from MTN, DSTV and Shoprite, some of the South African companies in Nigeria listed for attack by the militants are Eskom Nigeria, South African Breweries (SAB Miller), Umgeni Water, Refresh Product, LTA Construction and Protea Hotels.
Others, according to the letter, are Critical Rescue International, Global Outdoor Semces, PEP Retail Stores, Woolworths Holdings Limited, Truworths International Limited, Clover Industries, Oracle, Power Giant and Airtime.
The militants added, “Arising from the joint meeting of the Niger Delta Watchdogs, Niger Delta Volunteers and Niger Delta Strike Force, held today (Wednesday) in Port Harcourt, we condemn the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
“We want to state that the recent attacks (on Nigerians in South Africa) will mark the end of this nonsense because we will not fold our arms and allow this to continue. We, therefore, call on the Nigerian Government to immediately close down all the businesses owned by South Africans in Nigeria.
“Failure to close down these companies within one month, we shall mobilise in full force and commence massive attacks on the above-mentioned South African-owned investments in Nigeria. We shall also make sure that all MTN masts and offices are brought down to naught.
“We shall strike any property and persons from South Africa within our reach; we will bring down Multichoice (DSTV), Shoprite and others. We will not fold our arms and watch you (South Africans) slaughter our people like chickens for no just cause.
“We are fully prepared; our professional fighters are already strategising, South Africans must be crushed in Nigeria; our people must be free from these wicked agents.”
The militant groups pointed out that the one month ultimatum was enough for South Africans to relocate and leave Nigeria, even as they warned Nigerians against patronising South Africans business concerns on the expiration of the ultimatum to avoid casualties.
Accusing the South African Government of plotting to kill Nigerians within its territory by all means, the Niger Delta agitators cautioned that they would not allow such a plan to be executed.
“How can you explain a situation where the police clobbered defenceless Nigerian citizens to death without any provocation?” the militants asked.
They observed that the South African Government and her citizens possessed the highest number of business operations in Nigeria by a foreign country and making huge profits and living in a peaceful environment with nobody attacking them.
“But our people in South Africa have been unjustly subjected to torture, killings, looting of their belongings as well as burning down of their business premises/apartments,” they added.
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