Headlines
Foreigners Must Go, Insist South Africans as FG Begins Evacuation on Wednesday
There were fresh protests in eastern Johannesburg on Sunday, with the protesters demanding that “foreigners must go back to where they came from.”
During the fresh attacks, one person died, while five others were injured. The nationality of the dead has not been known as of the time of filing this report.
A South African newspaper, Sowetan Live, reported that marchers, who carried weapons such as knobkerries, headed for Jules Park where former Inkatha Freedom Party leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, addressed them.
According to the newspaper, the protesters were chanting, “foreigners must go back to where they came from.”
The BBC reported on Sunday that South Africans disrupted a speech in Johannesburg by Buthelez who tried to quell tensions following last week’s riots and xenophobic attacks.
According to the report, Buthelez was heckled by a rowdy section of the crowd.
He told the crowd he had become a mediator and said he felt ashamed about the recent violence which he said was tarnishing the name of South Africa across the continent.
He said, “What we have seen in the past few days is unacceptable. The attacks on foreign nationals and their businesses are purely xenophobic. It is a violation of human rights and a violation of our constitution. Our constitution enshrines the right to freedom from all forms of violence. That right applies to everyone in South Africa, whether citizens or not.”
The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that the police had confirmed that one person had died in renewed violence in the Johannesburg.
The Gauteng Police Commissioner, Elias Mawela, pleaded with residents of the area to allow government to deal with violence in some areas.
Also news24.com reported that Gauteng police spokesperson, Captain Kay Makhubele, confirmed that five people were injured.
The casualties were also confirmed by the President, Nigerian Union South Africa, Adetola Olubajo, in a text message to one of our correspondents, which read, “Police have confirmed one person dead and five injured.”
NUSA called on Nigerians to stay away from hot spots where violent protest march by Zulu hostel dwellers in Johannesburg took place.
The Publicity Secretary of the union, Habib Salihu, in a statement on Sunday, said this was to avoid a repeat of the violence recorded last week which led to “monumental loss of property and innocent lives.”
A Nigerian, Samson Onyema, whose business was destroyed during last week’s attacks told one of our correspondents on the phone on Sunday that “South Africans are protesting and moving round now. I am in Malvern and this is happening now. Their policemen are on standby but we don’t know what can happen after this. “
The Punch
United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.
Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.
“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.
He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.
According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.
Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.
Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.
U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.
Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned that any attempt to hurriedly re‑gazette Nigeria’s new tax laws could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.
Atiku’s warning follows public scrutiny over reports that the Tax Reform Acts signed by President Bola Tinubu differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the alterations could pose serious legal and constitutional risks, noting that they were not backed by any constitutional framework.
In a statement on X, Atiku said the directive to re-gazette the Acts effectively confirms “that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly,” calling it “a grave constitutional issue.”
He emphasized that under Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, a bill only becomes law after passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting.
“Gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication. It does not create, amend, or validate a law,” Atiku said, adding that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification without legislative approval constitutes forgery rather than a clerical error.
Atiku further warned that rushing a re-gazetting while legislative investigations are ongoing “undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent,” stressing that the only lawful approach is “fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.”
The former vice president clarified that his position is not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order.
“This is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
The Federal government has denied wrongdoing, insisting the laws will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026, while the National Assembly has directed the issuance of Certified True Copies of the Acts to ensure clarity and accuracy.
