Fourth Batch of Evacuated Nigerians Arrive from South Africa as Government Rolls Out Reintegration Support

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The fourth batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa has arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, with the Federal Government and partner agencies unveiling a package of financial and reintegration support to help the returnees rebuild their lives.

The evacuation flight, operated by Air Peace using a Boeing 777-200 aircraft with registration number 5N-BVE, departed Johannesburg at about 1:50 p.m. Nigerian time and landed in Lagos at approximately 8:15 p.m on Thursday.

A total of 284 persons were on board, comprising 282 returnees and two Nigerian officials who accompanied them from South Africa.

The returnees were received by representatives of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), as well as delegations from the Edo and Imo State governments. Officials of telecommunications company MTN were also present at the reception.

The latest operation forms part of the Federal Government’s ongoing evacuation of Nigerians following renewed xenophobic violence and insecurity targeting foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.

South-West Zonal Coordinator of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Alex Oturu, announced that every returnee would receive a SIM card preloaded with N50,000 airtime, courtesy of MTN.

He disclosed that each evacuee would also have a Moniepoint account opened for them through which they would receive N100,000 as immediate financial support.

According to him, NEMA would transport all returnees to their respective states, while state governments would complement the Federal Government’s reintegration efforts.

Oturu revealed that the Imo State Government had pledged to provide N1 million to each indigene of the state among the returnees to enable them restart their lives.

He added that officials from Edo State were already profiling their indigenes with a view to providing tailored assistance.

Beyond the immediate financial intervention, Oturu explained that the returnees would be enrolled in various empowerment and livelihood programmes.

“We are working together with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and other government agencies to ensure every returnee is integrated into a specific reintegration programme,” he said.

According to him, officials were profiling each returnee to determine individual needs because “reintegration is not one-size-fits-all.”

Representing the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Head of Legal Services, Dipo Odebowale, said the evacuation was approved by President Bola Tinubu as part of efforts to rescue stranded Nigerians.

“This is an initiative of the Federal Government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who graciously approved the return of our stranded compatriots from South Africa. We will continue until everybody is brought back home,” Odebowale said.

He confirmed that another evacuation flight was still being expected, indicating that the operation had not yet been concluded.

Representing the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Assistant Comptroller-General Mohammed Adamu described the reception process as smooth, attributing it to strong inter-agency collaboration.

“We are here to receive these people, profile them and work in synergy with other government agencies to ensure family reunification. The process has been seamless, and you can see the level of teamwork,” he said.

According to him, immigration officers were conducting profiling using the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) alongside other documentation procedures.

Deputy Consul-General at the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg, Daniel Onoriode Babagba, who accompanied the returnees, disclosed that the latest flight was the fourth in a planned series of five evacuation operations.

He noted that one of the earlier evacuation flights had been sponsored by the Chairman of ValueJet, Chief Kunle Soname.

Babagba said the evacuation became necessary because many Nigerians had suffered attacks, destruction of businesses and growing insecurity.

“It is really on the high side. Our people have suffered attacks, looting of their shops and destruction of their businesses,” he said.

He added that Nigerian officials had formally requested compensation from the South African authorities for Nigerians whose properties were destroyed during the attacks.

According to him, official records available to the Nigerian mission indicated that at least two Nigerians had been killed, while many others sustained injuries during the violence.

Some of the returnees narrated harrowing experiences, describing years of fear, repeated attacks and destruction of businesses.

One returnee, who said his shop had earlier been burnt during the 2019 xenophobic attacks, alleged that he narrowly escaped death in more recent attacks after assailants attempted to hack him with a machete before later opening fire on his shop.

“They cut my hand with a cutlass when I tried to protect myself. Another time they fired more than 18 bullets at me inside my shop. It is only God that saved my life,” he said.

He appealed to President Tinubu to continue engaging the South African Government to ensure better protection for Nigerians living there.

The returnee also urged the Enugu State Government to provide financial assistance similar to the support announced by Imo State for its indigenes.

Another returnee, Benjamin Okoye from Anambra State, who had lived in South Africa for over a decade, said worsening insecurity and economic hardship forced him to abandon his business and return home.

He appealed to state governments to assist returnees with business start-up funds to enable them rebuild their lives.

“We came back because life comes first. If the government can help us start businesses again, it will make a great difference,” he said.

Nigeria and South Africa have experienced periodic diplomatic tensions over recurring xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals, particularly African migrants.

Major outbreaks in 2008, 2015 and 2019 claimed lives, destroyed businesses and forced hundreds of Nigerians to return home through government-assisted evacuations.

The 2019 violence prompted the Federal Government to organise emergency evacuation flights, while diplomatic engagements between both countries led to renewed commitments to protect foreign nationals.

Despite those assurances, concerns have persisted over attacks on migrants, prompting Nigerian authorities to continue monitoring the welfare of citizens residing in South Africa and maintaining evacuation arrangements for those wishing to return voluntarily.