The Nigerian Law Society, NLS, has urged President Bola Tinubu to redeploy Nigeria's High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, to another African country, to avert the escalation of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in the southern African country.
NLS, an umbrella body of Nigerian non-litigation lawyers, made the call in a letter forwarded to the President, signed by its Executive Secretary, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja.
The call followed the clash between Fani-Kayode and the South African government after he cried out that his speech during the presentation of his letters of credence was cut off from the livestream of the event by South African officials.
Fani-Kayode made the allegation in a statement posted on his X handle.
The South African government, in its response, described Fani-Kayode's action as inappropriate.
Reacting to the development, the NLS said a more diplomatic approach was required due to the threats of xenophobic attacks faced by Nigerians in South Africa.
Parts of the letter to President Tinubu read, "We write to respectfully request you to exercise the power and discretion conferred upon your good self as occupant of the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under sections 171(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
"The said sections 171(1) and (2) of the Nigerian Constitution empower the occupant of the Office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to appoint, deploy and redeploy Ambassadors and High Commissioners who represent the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"Specifically, we respectfully request that you with immediate effect authorise the re-deployment of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode to any other African country or any other country of the world (other than South Africa).
"The reason is because within less than one month of his deployment as the High Commissioner of Nigeria to the Republic of South Africa, the Office of the President of the Republic of South Africa has written a formal complaint against Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
"It must be noted that at the event that gave rise to this formal complaint by the Office of the President of South Africa, there were at least 14 diplomats representing other countries.
"As diplomats representing 14 different countries of the world at the event that held on Friday 13th November 2026, it is possible that they may each have had cause for complaints against one or two things that the Office of the President of South Africa did not do to their liking.
"However, as professional diplomats, the 14 other diplomats explored and exhausted diplomatic channels to express to the government of South Africa whatever complaints and grievances they had.
"To the contrary, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the Nigerian high commissioner, broke all diplomatic protocols by going straight to the public domain to register his complaints without exploring and exhausting diplomatic channels.
"Due to the recent incidents of xenophobic attacks against Nigerian citizens who are resident within South Africa, the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa requires an ambassador or high commissioner that has a track record of the ability to deploy diplomatic skills at the highest level."
Xenophobic attacks: Nigerian Law Society asks Tinubu to redeploy Fani-Kayode from South Africa