Xenophobia: 258 Nigerians Fleeing Attack in South Africa Return Home
The first set of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa following xenophobic attacks in the country, arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday morning aboard an Air Peace plane.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, was on hand to welcome the 258 evacuees who were escorted by officials of the Nigerian Mission in South Africa, led by the Acting High Commissioner, Temitope Ajayi.
Addressing the returnees, Enikanolaiye said Nigeria will not stand idly by and watch its citizens being subjected to attacks and harassment wherever they may be in the world.
In a statement following their arrival, the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, quoted Enikanolaiye as commending the excellent coordination of the process by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.
He urged Nigerians in South Africa to remain law-abiding and vigilant and to report any threats to the Nigerian Mission.
The minister said that the Federal Government remains fully engaged with the South African authorities to ensure the protection of Nigerian nationals and to address the root causes of these incidents.
The minister conveyed the heartfelt greetings and assurances of President Bola Tinubu to the returning nationals.
“No Nigerian should live in fear simply because of their nationality. The evacuation does not signal defeat; it underscores the proactive and citizen-centred foreign policy of the Tinubu administration,” the statement read in part.
“More flights carrying returnees are expected to arrive in the country in the coming days as the evacuation exercise continues.”
The returning nationals are undergoing documentation, profiling, and necessary medical checks and will be provided with temporary accommodation before being reunited with their families, the ministry said.
Anti-foreigner violence has convulsed South Africa for weeks as gangs armed with sticks, whips, and shields have marched through parts of the “rainbow nation”, demanding that people with no residency papers leave by June 30.
Foreign nationals have reported being intimidated and beaten by mobs going door to door, families have been forced from their homes, and many have left in the face of the threats.
Ghana, Mozambique, and Malawi have already repatriated hundreds of their citizens in recent weeks.
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