7th August, 2019
Big Brother Africa Star Tayo Faniran said on Wednesday that his response to the nasty experience he had in the hands of the South African police would be to show love to fellow humans.
Faniran said this at a news conference jointly addressed by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on the killing of Nigerians in southern African country.
He said that he had already begun a movement on ”Say No to Xenophobia”.
According to him, xenophobia exists because of lack of proper and adequate information.
He said that he would work hard to end xenophobia through the dissemination of the right kind of information that would promote unity and love.
He observed that there were no billboards or newspaper in South Africa that discouraged xenophobia.
He said that Nigerians could give South Africans a reason to love by portraying Nigeria in positive light, adding that instead of breaking the bridge between both countries, he would reconstruct it.
He expressed appreciation to everyone who showed him support in his trying moment.
He thanked the Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa for her motherly support since the incident with the South African Police.
“Africa is my passion and the future of Africa is when we come together because Nigerians are blessed as well as other African countries.
“If we come together to join forces, Africa will be better,” he said.
Speaking, Dabiri-Erewa said: “It is a shame that in the 21st century we are talking about Africans killing Africans rather than talking about Africans going to the moon and inventing things that would enable them to take over the world,” she said.
She said that the policemen who harassed the Big Brother Africa star were currently being investigated.
She added that Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs when sworn in, would meet with his counterpart in South Africa to review the early warning signal agreement that was reached some time ago.
According to her, other diplomatic channels will be explored.
Faniran made a live Instagram video of his altercation with some policemen in South Africa.
In the short clip making the rounds on social media, the reality show star was reportedly stopped by a policeman and eventually told to step into a police van and go with him to the station.
He resisted the officer’s attempt to arrest him as he expressed concern that the police van was unmarked and that he would go with him to the station only if he would ride with him in his own car.
The policeman maintained his calm as he called for backup.
The backup officers arrived and forcefully bundled Tayo into their vehicle as one of them even held his neck tightly.