Nigerians who fled South Africa following a wave of xenophobic violence are urging the federal government to implement support programs for their rehabilitation and reintegration. Having lost their businesses, homes, and assets, these returnees are now struggling to restart their lives, with some claiming that relatives at home squandered or withheld their investments.
The stories of hardship emerged as 315 additional Nigerians arrived in Lagos on the final evacuation flight operated by Air Peace. Many returnees described living in a state of constant peril, where even legal status did not provide protection from local hostility. One individual recounted being threatened at gunpoint by armed locals, while another mother shared a traumatic experience of being forced to scrub hospital floors immediately after giving birth simply because she was a foreigner. Several returnees reported harrowing accounts of being deceived by family members upon their return, with some being lured into confinement under the guise of religious prayers.
As the final group of evacuees touches down, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that this flight concludes the government-led evacuation effort. The mission was initiated to rescue citizens from the escalating insecurity in South Africa. Government officials expressed their continued dedication to the safety of Nigerians abroad while finalizing the repatriation process.
