Sixty-seven Nigerians repatriated from South Africa have arrived in Lagos amid renewed concerns over the safety and welfare of Nigerians living in the country.
The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Wednesday night aboard a South African Airways flight, barely one week after another batch of 83 Nigerians was repatriated.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the latest repatriation exercise, like the previous one, was sponsored by private individuals.
She said the intervention came against the backdrop of persistent concerns over the welfare of Nigerians in South Africa, particularly reports of xenophobic incidents and protests by groups demanding the deportation of foreign nationals.
“This group is also facilitating this latest exercise amidst unrelenting concerns over the safety and welfare of our nationals in South Africa occasioned by reports of continuing xenophobic incidents and protests by groups calling for the deportation of foreign nationals,” the minister said.
The 67 returnees comprised 30 adults, 34 children and one infant.
According to Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the returnees came from 13 states: Lagos, Enugu, Kogi, Ogun, Imo, Oyo, Delta, Edo, Anambra, Osun, Benue, Abia and Kwara.
The minister urged state governments to complement the federal government’s efforts by providing assistance to Nigerians returning from South Africa.
She said many of the returnees had been forced to abandon their livelihoods and properties in the country, adding that they needed support to overcome the trauma associated with their experiences.
“We continue to appeal to state governments to complement the federal government’s repatriation efforts by coming to the aid of their returnees, many of whom left South Africa, abandoning livelihoods and properties,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also called on the affected states to support relocation and resettlement programmes for their indigenes as part of efforts to help them rebuild their lives after returning to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the coordinator of the repatriation exercise, Ikem Ume-Ezeoke, and businessman Charles Mba addressed the returnees upon their arrival.
Ebienfa added that each of the 67 returnees received N50,000 from Ume-Ezeoke and Mba.
The latest development brings the number of Nigerians repatriated from South Africa within the past two weeks to 150, following the return of 83 Nigerians last week.
The continued repatriations highlight growing concerns about the security and welfare of Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa amid reported xenophobic incidents and anti-immigrant protests.
