By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria has evacuated another batch of 105 distressed nationals from South Africa following reported xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other Africans in the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, said the returnees, comprising 82 adults and 23 children, arrived in Lagos aboard South African Airways Flight SA060 at about 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
The returnees were received by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant government agencies.
According to the ministry, the evacuation of 100 of the returnees was funded through the $265,854 donation by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) for the purchase of one-way tickets to evacuate 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa.
It said the remaining five returnees were evacuated through a donation by a private Nigerian citizen.
The ministry disclosed that the latest evacuation was the 13th consular evacuation from South Africa since the exercise commenced on June 10, 2026, bringing the total number of Nigerians evacuated to 1,821.
Of the figure, the Federal Government fully funded the evacuation of 1,388 Nigerians.
The ministry said the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa was continuing engagements with the RCCG leadership and other philanthropic groups and individuals to facilitate the evacuation of additional distressed Nigerians.
It added that some other Nigerians were undergoing preliminary clearance with the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg and relevant South African authorities and would be evacuated once the process was concluded.
The Federal Government expressed appreciation to RCCG, under the leadership of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, for its donation to support the evacuation of distressed Nigerians.
It also commended other groups and individuals that had partnered with the government to assist Nigerians seeking to return home because of concerns over their safety.
The government said it remained concerned about persistent xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa, stressing that it would continue diplomatic efforts to secure the cooperation of South African authorities in addressing the issue.
It reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the lives, rights, welfare and dignity of Nigerians in the diaspora and said it would deploy appropriate diplomatic and consular measures whenever circumstances required.
The ministry urged Nigerians resident in South Africa to remain vigilant and law-abiding and maintain contact with the Nigeria High Commission in Pretoria and the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg for consular assistance when necessary.
