A fresh wave of anti-immigrant protests in South Africa has prompted the return of 269 Nigerians under a Federal Government evacuation programme, as Abuja reassured citizens remaining in the country that efforts were ongoing to guarantee their safety.
According to Punch, the latest group arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, aboard an Air Peace flight from Johannesburg on Tuesday. The evacuation followed an earlier flight that brought home 66 Nigerians on June 24, bringing the total number of returnees to 335.
The evacuations coincided with demonstrations across several South African cities, where thousands of protesters demanded the removal of undocumented migrants. Police maintained a heavy security presence as anti-migrant groups marked a self-imposed June 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
Although authorities described the protests as largely peaceful, isolated incidents of looting, vandalism and assaults were reported in Johannesburg, Soweto, Germiston and KwaZulu-Natal. South African police said about 25,000 migrants had already been repatriated this year, while around 50,000 undocumented migrants had been arrested since January.
In a statement, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs said more evacuation flights would be deployed to return Nigerians who had completed screening and voluntarily requested repatriation. The ministry added that Nigeria would continue engaging South African authorities at the highest diplomatic level to safeguard its citizens.
Director of the African Affairs Department, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe, who received the returnees in Lagos, conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s assurance that the government remained committed to protecting Nigerians abroad.
Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, said confusion arose after some community members encouraged people to gather at the Nigerian mission before they had been officially invited for evacuation.
He explained that the embassy was conducting the exercise in batches and urged those awaiting evacuation to follow official communication rather than unofficial announcements.
Ajayi also confirmed that the Nigerian mission was working with South African police to establish the circumstances surrounding the reported killing of a Nigerian businessman, popularly known as “Big Joe”, in Mpumalanga Province. He added that investigations into previous deaths involving Nigerians remained ongoing.
The President General of the Nigerian Union South Africa, Smart Nwobi, said Nigerians had been advised to remain indoors during the protests while the union, the Nigerian High Commission and other organisations continued providing shelter, food and relief materials for displaced citizens.
According to him, more than 600 Nigerians have already been screened for evacuation, while additional flights are expected in the coming days.
The Deputy Chairman of the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa in the Western Cape, Leo Azebeokhai, called on the Federal Government to intensify diplomatic engagement with Pretoria. He argued that delays in passport renewals and immigration permits had left many Nigerians undocumented through no fault of their own.
Retired Nigerian diplomats also urged stronger diplomatic action, including sustained engagement with South African authorities, improved coordination of evacuation efforts and long-term measures through the African Union to address recurring xenophobic violence.
Meanwhile, the National Association of University Students warned that it would organise nationwide protests in Nigeria if South African authorities failed to provide stronger protection for Nigerians within one week.
