ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has condemned attacks on African migrants in South Africa, insisting that concerns over undocumented migration must be addressed through lawful means and not by violence, destruction of property or other forms of reprisal.
Obasanjo made the position known during an interview on C-Suite Café, while reflecting on Nigeria’s historic involvement in the struggle to dismantle apartheid in South Africa.
The former president argued that the presence of undocumented migrants could not be used to justify unlawful treatment, warning that responding to one alleged violation with another would amount to “using illegality to treat illegality.”
He said, “the existence of undocumented migrants did not justify unlawful actions against them.”
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According to Obasanjo, both government authorities and citizens have a responsibility to enforce immigration laws without resorting to attacks on foreigners.
He questioned the practice of allowing or encouraging local groups to destroy migrants’ homes and businesses, asking whether such actions could be justified under any circumstances.
Vanguard reports that Obasanjo also challenged broad claims associating foreign nationals with criminality, asking what proportion of migrants were actually involved in crime and how many others contributed to the economy through businesses and job creation.
The former president linked the hostility towards migrants to wider economic and governance pressures, noting that governments can come under increased political pressure when citizens feel that their economic expectations are not being met.
He said such frustration could contribute to anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly in situations where issues such as unemployment, crime and competition for economic opportunities remain unresolved.
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Obasanjo further warned that violence against migrants was at odds with the broader objective of strengthening African integration and economic cooperation.
His comments were contained in an interview dated September 10, 2026, which lasted more than an hour and was reviewed by our correspondent on Monday.
While addressing South Africa’s apartheid history, Obasanjo recalled Nigeria’s extensive support for the campaign against racial discrimination, stressing that the country’s involvement was driven by principle rather than an expectation of reward.
He said, “Nigeria’s involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle was based on principle and opposition to racial discrimination, rather than an expectation of reward.”
According to him, the central principle behind Nigeria’s position was that “no black person should be treated as inferior” because of race.
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Obasanjo also maintained that Nigeria played a significant role in the international effort that eventually brought apartheid to an end.
He said, “without the country’s leadership and interventions, South Africa would not have ended the system when it did.”
He recalled his interactions with several African and international figures during the anti-apartheid struggle, including former United States Representative Andrew Young, former British Prime Minister James Callaghan, former Mozambican President Samora Machel and former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda.
The former president’s comments come amid continuing concerns over the treatment of foreign nationals in South Africa, with undocumented migration, unemployment, crime and competition for economic opportunities remaining sources of tension.
He argued that addressing those challenges should not result in collective punishment or violence against migrants.