Nigeria`s Consul-General in South Africa, Amb. Uche Ajulu-Okeke, on Thursday urged Nigerians travelling to South Africa to be wary of taxis they board on arrival in that country.
Okeke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Johannesburg, South Africa, that the Consulate had received reports from 17 Nigerians robbed on arrival at the Oliver Thambo International Airport since the beginning of the year.
“ These robbery attacks have put the mission in a lot of problems.
“ The president`s aide on NEPAD arrived in South Africa, boarded a taxi recommended by the NEPAD Secretariat and was robbed at gun point a few meters away from the airport, ” she said.
She also cited the robbing of a top Nigerian cosmetologist who recently arrived in South Africa to show case the use of traditional Nigerian cosmetics and improved local value of Shea Butter.
“ She was robbed at gun point with her husband after a car crossed their path in front of their hotel and took away all they had,” she said.
The ambassador stated that another Nigerian couple robbed few metres from the airport became traumatised when they got to the mission.
“ When they came to the mission, they could not talk, the wife was traumatised.
“ We had to buy them new clothes, opened their e-mail and informed the company they came to see that they lost everything,” she said.
Ajulu-Okeke said the robbers often carted away everything from their victims and dump the passengers on the way.
He urged Nigerians coming to South Africa to make arrangements for people to receive them.
“ Do not enter the local airport taxis because some of them are into unholy alliance with hoodlums to rob people who come to South Africa for legitimate business,” she said.
The ambassador said the mission was worried that there could be other cases not reported, saying many had been reported to the police for action.
“ We are working hard here to promote business relations between our two countries and there are more than 30,000 South Africans living in Nigeria and nothing like this happens to them,” she said.
Ajulu -Okeke urged security agencies in South Africa to check the activities of the hoodlums. (NAN)
MEMO/OJO
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