33 More Nigerians Evacuated From South Africa Following Deaths of Two Citizens

By Omoyeni Ojeifo

Another batch of 33 Nigerians have been evacuated from South Africa as xenophobic violence continues to threaten the safety and livelihoods of Nigerian citizens in the country.

The returnees, drawn from Delta, Ogun, Imo, Lagos, Enugu, Oyo, Edo, Ondo and Bayelsa States, are the latest evacuees amid what the Federal Government described as an unrelenting situation.

“The situation in South Africa is not improving, with two Nigerian citizens, James Uchechukwu Nwankwo and Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle, killed in the country this month, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in a post on her X handle, obtained by PersecondNews on Friday.

According to the minister, the Federal Government has condemned the targeted killings and continued to call on South African authorities to investigate the incidents and bring those responsible to justice.

She also noted that the National Assembly has also suspended official visits to South Africa and boycotted legislative activities hosted by the country in response to the situation.

Of the latest 33 returnees, the Private Group of Business Friends, PGNBF, funded the evacuation of 26, bringing the number of Nigerians whose repatriation the group has sponsored to 176.

“The group had previously funded the return of 83 Nigerians and another 67 from South Africa before sponsoring the latest batch,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated

She added that the Nigerian Lawyers Association, NLASA, funded the return of five evacuees, while a private citizen from Bayelsa State funded the return of three Bayelsa indigenes.

“The Igbo Lawyers Association South Africa, ILASA, also recently funded the repatriation of 28 Nigerian nationals,”she said.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed the Federal Government’s gratitude to the groups and individuals for supporting Nigerians described as being in peril in South Africa.

She urged state governments that have not yet done so to complement Federal Government efforts by assisting their indigenes forced to abandon their properties and livelihoods in South Africa.

The minister also commended Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah for hosting 77 Enugu families comprising 112 indigenes at a reception on Thursday and giving each family ₦1 million.

Mbah urged the returnees not to be afraid to rebuild their lives, telling them, “Don’t be afraid to start again.”

The evacuation comes amid xenophobic attacks and threats to the safety and livelihoods of Nigerians in South Africa, with some forced to abandon their properties and businesses.

PerSecondNews recalls that 1,638 Nigerians had previously been evacuated from South Africa, bringing the total number of returnees to 1,671 with the latest 33 evacuees.