Adams Oshiomhole, the senator representing Edo North, on Tuesday called for the revocation of licences of South African companies operating in Nigeria including MTN and MultiChoice, owners of DSTV.
His reasons?
The Senator is not happy following renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, the home-country of the companies he mentioned.
The call came as the National Assembly condemned the latest wave of attacks, urging the Federal Government to take immediate diplomatic and protective measures to safeguard Nigerian citizens abroad.
Speaking during plenary, Oshiomhole said Nigeria must respond firmly, invoking the principle of reciprocity in international relations.
He said,
“I don’t want this Senate to be shedding tears, to sympathise with those who have died. We didn’t come here to share tears.
“If you hit me, I’ll hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It’s an economic struggle.”
The former Edo State governor proposed that Nigeria should nationalise MTN and withdraw its operating licence, arguing that the company repatriates significant revenue while Nigerians face hostility in South Africa.
“This Senate should adopt a position that MTN, a South African company that is cutting away millions of dollars from Nigeria every day, should have Nigeria nationalise it and withdraw its licence,” he said.
According to him, such action would not only serve as a deterrent but also create opportunities for indigenous firms, amid what he described as economic and social targeting of Nigerians abroad.
He extended the call to MultiChoice, urging the Federal Government to revoke DSTV’s licence over alleged exploitative practices.
“I call on the Federal Government to revoke DSTV, which is also a South African company that is cutting away millions of dollars,” he said.
Oshiomhole linked the recurring tensions to domestic political dynamics in South Africa, noting that anti-immigrant rhetoric had become a feature of its politics and was shaping public attitudes toward foreign nationals, including Nigerians.
“When we hit back, the president of South Africa will go on his knees to recognise that Nigerians cannot be intimidated,” he said.
The senator made the remarks while contributing to a motion sponsored by Osita Izunaso, which was read on the floor by Aniekan Bassey under Senate rules on matters of urgent public importance.
Titled “A call for urgent national diplomatic and humanitarian action to defend the dignity, safety and honour of Nigerian citizens,” the motion highlighted growing concerns over the safety of Nigerians in South Africa.
Also speaking, Senator Victor Umeh described the situation as alarming, warning that Nigerians were living in fear.
“It is worrisome. They are hiding for their lives. They can’t move freely. This is a situation where people are paying good with evil,” he said, referencing Nigeria’s historical support for the anti-apartheid struggle.
Umeh called on the African Union to intervene and impose sanctions, warning that Nigeria could no longer tolerate attacks on its citizens.
“The AU, of which South Africa is a member, should rise now and impose necessary sanctions,” he said, adding that “we cannot allow this to continue.”
Oshiomhole, however, doubled down on calls for economic retaliation, arguing that Nigeria must move beyond rhetoric.
“I don’t want this Senate to be shedding tears to sympathise with those who have died. We didn’t come here to shed tears. I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.
He further argued that Nigerians should take advantage of opportunities in the local economy, currently dominated by foreign firms.
Senator Abdul Ningi warned South Africans over recent attacks on Nigerians, threatening that the country would take the fight to their territory.
“If a crime has been committed under the South African law, they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that.
“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,” he said.
Speaking, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, decried the attack, adding that the National Assembly would send a joint team to meet with the South-African parliament on the matter.
“This is just not acceptable, this is barbaric, this is cruel, this is unheard of, this is strange behaviour, and we’re not seeing action from the government of South Africa. These are aspects that annoy me,” Akpabio said.
The development underscores mounting pressure on the Federal Government to adopt a tougher stance, as recurring xenophobic violence in South Africa continues to strain diplomatic relations and provoke calls for both economic countermeasures and stronger protections for Nigerians abroad.
