By Olabode Opeseitan
There are moments in a nation's life when leadership steps forward with a clarity that steadies the soul. The recent wave of xenophobic killings in South Africa has created one of those moments. In the midst of grief, outrage and disbelief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu have shown a rare steadiness. Their voices have carried the weight of a nation that refuses to watch its citizens die in silence. This is what great leaders do. They rise when the season demands courage.
Every Nigerian killed in South Africa was a human being with dreams, hopes and a future they were striving to build. They travelled in search of the golden fleece, not to be murdered by criminals in uniform or in mufti. The death of 42-year old Ibeh Chika Simon during a SAPS operation at the Parksig Villas Complex in Bellville, Cape Town on July 23 is one too many. It is a stain on the conscience of any society that claims to uphold the rule of law. Life is sacred. The life of every Nigerian is precious.
Nigeria has never been indifferent to South Africa. During the long night of apartheid, Nigerians stood up, gave generously and fought for a future where South Africans could breathe free. We opened our doors, our institutions and our hearts. We did not count the cost. Yet today, a group of ingrates repays that history with violence. Instead of lawful prosecution for those who offend, they resort to jungle justice. It is senseless. It is cruel. It is beneath any nation that claims to be governed by law.
Yes, a few Nigerians may have violated South African laws. If so, let the legal process run its course. That is civilisation. What cannot be justified is the killing of innocent people under the guise of national frustration. No grievance legitimises murder. No anger justifies the spilling of blood.
This is why Tinubu’s decision to decline a meeting with the South African envoy is significant. It signals that Nigeria will not treat the deaths of its citizens as diplomatic footnotes. It affirms that accountability is not optional. Bianca Ojukwu’s voice, equally firm and principled, reinforces this national posture. She speaks with the clarity of someone who understands that silence in the face of injustice is complicity.
Yet, in all this, there is always room for diplomacy. Once South Africa ratifies and activates the Memorandum of Understanding on the Early Warning Mechanism, which both countries signed in Abuja on 22 October 2025, as Nigeria has insisted on, both parties should expedite diplomatic engagements and resolve the matter amicably. The South African government must find a way of letting its people know that the Africans they are killing, maiming and chasing out of their country are their friends. The enemy they need to confront is corruption, hunger, unemployment, injustice and poor governance.
Tinubu and Bianca Ojukwu have shown that leadership is not defined by convenience. It is defined by courage, consistency and the willingness to defend the vulnerable. They have shown themselves to be great leaders for all seasons.
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