Photo Credit: Punch Newspapers / File Photo – Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Ajayi Alexander
1,695 Nigerians Evacuated From South Africa Over Xenophobic Threats – Envoy

No fewer than 1,695 Nigerians have been repatriated from South Africa since the beginning of this year following renewed threats against foreign nationals.

The Acting High Commissioner of Nigeria to South Africa, Ambassador Ajayi Alexander, disclosed this on Friday during a visit by fellows of the MTN Media Innovation Programme in Pretoria.

According to Alexander, 1,490 of the returnees were evacuated through Federal Government-sponsored flights, while 205 others returned with assistance from private individuals.

He said the government funded five repatriation flights, each conveying at least 200 Nigerians, while the High Commission also provided one-way tickets in two to three batches for those willing to leave. The exercise was voluntary, as some Nigerians who registered failed to show up for their flights.

The envoy noted that some of those evacuated owned properties in South Africa, while others were legal residents who were unable to renew their permits due to delays.

Alexander revealed that the mission is planning another evacuation after the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) offered to sponsor the return of 500 Nigerians. He appealed to other religious bodies and well-meaning individuals to support further evacuation efforts.

He said the urgent evacuation became necessary after anti-immigrant groups in South Africa issued fresh threats, asking foreigners to leave the country by the end of September.

“We are not taking that threat lightly,” Alexander said, stressing that the priority of the mission is to prevent Nigerians from being exposed to violence.

Despite the tension, he maintained that diplomatic relations between both countries remain cordial at the highest level of government.

In July, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, led a delegation to Abuja for talks with Nigerian officials after President Bola Tinubu ordered dialogue on the attacks.

The Nigerian government has described attacks on its nationals in South Africa as recurring. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs had previously disclosed that 98 Nigerians died in mob and hate-related incidents since 2022.

Alexander said both countries have agreed on five key areas to address the crisis, including preventive mechanisms, prosecution of offenders, restraint by public officials, respect for the rule of law and possible compensation for affected Nigerians.

He added that an early-warning mechanism under a proposed Nigeria-South Africa Memorandum of Understanding, which has been under negotiation for six to seven years, is yet to become operational.
Source: Punch Newspapers