Nigeria: Xenophobia - 111 More Distressed Nigerians Return From South Africa

12 October 2026
Daily Trust (Abuja)
By Joshua Odeyemi

Another batch of 111 distressed Nigerians have returned from South Africa following the xenophobic attacks in the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement by Oluwafemi Adeniyi, its spokesman, on Sunday, said that they arrived in Lagos aboard South African Airways (SAA) Flight SA060 on Thursday, 8 October 2026.

According to the statement, the group, comprising 44 men, 23 women and 44 children, was received upon arrival by the officials of the Ministry, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant agencies.

"The evacuation of this latest batch was fully funded from the Two Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Four US Dollars ($265,854.00) donation made by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) to support the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa," it disclosed.

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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.

It also raises the cumulative number of Nigerian nationals evacuated from the country to 2,037, of whom 1388 had their repatriation cost fully covered by the Federal Government.

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 its appreciation to the RCCG for its generous financial support towards the evacuation of distressed Nigerians from South Africa.

According to the statement, 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.

Nigerians in South Africa are advised to continue to comply with local laws, remain vigilant and prioritise safety.

They are also encouraged to maintain contact with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and the Consulate General in Johannesburg for consular assistance whenever needed.

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