The Nigerian Consulate in South Africa, in collaboration with the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, has announced free repatriation flights for Nigerians willing to return home permanently amid escalating anti-foreigner protests across parts of the country.
President of NICASA, Frank Onyekwelu, said the worsening unrest had forced many Nigerians to shut down shops and businesses, leaving many in fear and uncertainty.
He disclosed that although there was no formal support structure yet for affected Nigerians, the intervention by the consulate had created an immediate option for those seeking to leave.
According to him, many Nigerians had already indicated interest in the repatriation exercise.
“The Nigerian Consulate in conjunction with NICASA has offered a free repatriation flight to any Nigerian who wishes to leave South Africa permanently, and the process is ongoing as we have recorded many Nigerians signalling interest to return home,” Onyekwelu said.
The development comes as Nigerians residing in South Africa recount harrowing experiences following violent anti-foreigner protests in cities including Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, and parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
The protests, reportedly driven by anti-immigration groups including Operation Dudula, have led to harassment, looting, destruction of property, and injuries, heightening fears among foreign nationals.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has advised Nigerian business owners to temporarily shut down operations to minimise risks and avoid losses.
Tensions deepened after the Nigerian Consulate General in Johannesburg confirmed the deaths of two Nigerians, identified as Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, in separate incidents.
The Consul-General, Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, said Emmanuel died from injuries allegedly sustained after an assault involving personnel of the South African National Defence Force on April 20.
She added that Andrew was apprehended in the Booysens area of Pretoria following an alleged altercation with members of the Tshwane Metro Police, and his body was later discovered at a mortuary in Pretoria.
Meanwhile, videos circulating online have shown hundreds of protesters marching through streets wielding sticks and chanting anti-foreigner slogans, while some foreign traders were openly ordered to leave the country with their families.
In a related incident, an Ethiopian national was reportedly shot dead in downtown Johannesburg in what authorities suspect may have been a targeted killing, further intensifying concerns over the safety of foreign nationals.
Reacting to the unrest, the South African Police Service condemned acts of intimidation and violence against foreigners, describing them as unlawful and contrary to the country’s democratic values.
Nigerian business owners also reported heavy financial losses as shops, supermarkets, restaurants, and other foreign-owned businesses came under attack.
A restaurant operator in Johannesburg, Yemisi Adewale, said she narrowly escaped an attack at a local market after protesters stormed the area, looting goods and vandalising shops.
She described the attacks as organised looting disguised as protests, adding that many Nigerian traders had completely shut down safety operations.
Diaspora leaders, however, maintained that the unrest appeared concentrated in informal settlements and high-density trading areas rather than across the entire country.
President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo South Africa, ABC Okokoh, said informal traders and residents in settlement communities had borne the brunt of the unrest.
Similarly, Olusola Agbeniyi, president of the Association of Yorubas in Diaspora in South Africa, said there had been no casualties directly linked to the ongoing demonstrations.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for NiDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the matter had been escalated to the ministerial level, adding that Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu was already engaging South African authorities over the situation.
