Xenophobia: 111 more Nigerians return from S’Africa

Xenophobia: Fourth batch of Nigerians evacuated from S'Africa arrives Lagos. Credit: TVC

The Federal Government has evacuated another batch of 111 distressed Nigerians from South Africa amid concerns over xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in the country.

The returnees, comprising 44 men, 23 women and 44 children, arrived in Lagos aboard South African Airways Flight SA060 on Thursday, October 8, 2026.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, on Sunday.

The ministry said the returnees were received by officials of the ministry, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant Federal Government agencies.

According to the statement, the evacuation was fully funded by the $265,854 donation made by the Redeemed Christian Church of God to support the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa.

“The arrival of the returnees brings the total number of consular evacuations conducted from South Africa to 15 since the commencement of the ongoing evacuation exercise on 10th June, 2026,” the statement said.

It added that the latest evacuation brought the cumulative number of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa to 2,037, including 1,388 whose repatriation costs were fully covered by the Federal Government.

The ministry disclosed that 318 Nigerians had so far benefited from the RCCG-funded evacuation, leaving 182 more to be repatriated under the church’s commitment.

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It said, “With the successful evacuation of this RCCG-funded batch, a total of 318 Nigerian nationals have had their one-way tickets funded by the church. Therefore, 182 more nationals are expected to be repatriated under RCCG’s commitment to fund 500 one-way tickets.”

The Federal Government expressed appreciation to the RCCG, under the leadership of its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, for its financial support towards the evacuation of distressed Nigerians.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to engaging the South African authorities and other stakeholders to address xenophobia and Afrophobia in the country.

“The Federal Government remains committed to engaging relevant stakeholders, including authorities of South Africa, to address Xenophobia and Afrophobia in the country, and promote the welfare, safety and dignity of Nigerians residing there,” the statement added.

The ministry advised Nigerians living in South Africa to comply with local laws, remain vigilant and prioritise their safety.

It urged them to maintain contact with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and the Consulate General in Johannesburg for consular assistance whenever necessary.

“The Federal Government remains steadfast in its commitment to providing timely consular support to Nigerians in the diaspora and safeguarding their welfare and well-being,” the statement said.