Nigerians are among the 245 people arrested by the South African Police on Friday for alleged violation of several bye-laws, including loitering, littering and public indecency.

It was reported that police arrested many of the victims around their business premises near the Central Methodist Church (CMD).

Investigation indicated that the suspects were not given the chance to explain themselves as they were arrested even when they claimed to be innocent of the charges.

However many of those arrested immediately paid the stipulated R300 (about N6,000) fine for admission of guilt, while those who could not afford the fee would be arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court today.

Doctors Without Borders, an NGO, has, however, upbraided the police, pointing out that many Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals take refuge near the CMD.

It described the arrest as “a calculated blitz.’’

But Community Safety officer in the Gauteng Province, Mr. Khabisi Mosunkutu, said yesterday in Johannesburg that the police raid in the Johannesburg CMD Friday night was not aimed at foreign nationals.

“The operation did not affect and was not related to the foreign nationals that reside in the Central Methodist Church.

“For some time, there have been complaints of public disorder and criminal activity, particularly against businesses in the area,’’ Mosunkutu said.

He said South Africans were also among those arrested.

In another development, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Sen. Jubril Aminu, has described the attack on Nigerians living abroad as unfortunate.

Aminu said this yesterday while briefing newsmen at the 70th birthday ceremony of the mother of the Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Political Matters, Chief Akin Osuntokun, at Okemesi-Ekiti State.

He said xenophobia against Nigerians should be condemned in its totality from other countries and urged authorities to do something about it.

“Xenophobia should be condemned by everybody, especially my fellow Nigerians. Nigerians are good people, with a government that is sympathetic and tolerant.

“As a matter of fact, Nigeria as a country has taken part in solving problems of most of these countries that are attacking Nigerians, even though they may be far from us.

“We have taken part in decolonisation, fought apartheid, participated in peace keeping and given economic assistance to these countries.

“I think it is up to us, through dialogue, to find out why those countries are attacking Nigerians and possibly find a way of solving the problem,’’ Aminu said.