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The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has advised Nigerians against retaliating xenophobic attacks on South Africans.
He gave the advice during the September Holy Ghost Service Friday night.
To establish his position, Adeboye recalled that a similar situation occurred while he was completing his studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1966 when the late Col. Odimegu Ojukwu announced that as the leader of the Eastern Region, he could no longer guarantee the safety of Nigerians of Northern and Western regions living in the region. While the university authorities were making arrangements to transport such students and workers to their various regions for safety p, he said news suddenly came on radio that people of Eastern origin at the University of Ibadan had been held hostage with the condition that they would only be released when Westerners from the East found their way home. He said the news immediately turned brothers against brothers, pointing out that many of them escaped by the whispers.
Adeboye emphasized that the people causing problem in every society are usually less than 10 per cent, pointing out that those attacking and killing other nationals in South Africa are few, and as such, do not represent the entire citizens.
According to him, an average South African is decent. He, therefore, advised Nigerians to show love to South Africans living near them instead of attacking them.
He advised Nigerians to allow the crisis to be resolved between governments of the two countries, saying reprisal attacks will put Nigerians living in South Africa in great danger.