Nigeria receives 105 citizens repatriated from South Africa amid xenophobic attacks
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry says 105 Nigerians, including adults and students, returned from South Africa on September 24 with financial support from a church and a private donor. The ministry said further evacuations were being arranged, while reported deaths and unresolved investigations continue to strain relations between the countries.
A further 105 Nigerians have been repatriated from South Africa as xenophobic attacks on black foreigners continue, according to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The group arrived in Lagos on South African Airways flight SA060 at about 20:30 on September 24. The ministry said the returnees included 82 adults and 23 children, while an earlier description of the group identified 83 adults and 23 students.
In a statement shared on X, the ministry said the Redeemed Christian Church of God funded the return of 100 people. The church had donated more than $265,854 to buy one-way tickets for an operation intended to evacuate 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa. A private Nigerian citizen funded the remaining five returns, the ministry said.
Nigeria’s diplomatic mission is continuing to work with the church’s leadership in South Africa, philanthropic organisations and individuals, the ministry added. It said other distressed Nigerians were undergoing preliminary clearance with the Nigerian consulate in Johannesburg and South African authorities, and would be evacuated once that process was complete. The latest arrivals bring the number of Nigerians evacuated since the recent wave of xenophobia began in April to about 1,640, according to the source material.
A group of 33 Nigerians was repatriated in the previous month. At least five Nigerians have been killed since the violence began, the report said. The deaths include Chika Simon, who died after an encounter with the South African Police Service in July.
Nigeria’s consulate said his death occurred under questionable circumstances. Earlier deaths were also reported in April and June. The report said investigations into the cases remained pending and that no arrests had been made.
Nigerian authorities had summoned South Africa’s High Commissioner after the deaths of Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, demanding thorough investigations. The continuing evacuations and unresolved cases have contributed to an uneasy state in Nigeria-South Africa relations, according to the report.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.