The Federal Government has assured Nigerians still living in South Africa of their safety amid renewed xenophobic tensions, anti-immigrant protests and growing calls for stronger diplomatic action to protect Nigerian nationals.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ELLAN.png")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Summer-IDRI-Masterclass.jpg")
The assurance came as another batch of 269 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday aboard an Air Peace flight from Johannesburg.
The flight, which landed at 10:48 a.m., marked the second government-coordinated evacuation exercise in recent weeks.
The latest arrival followed the return of 66 Nigerians to Lagos on June 24 aboard a flight facilitated by a Nigerian businessman, bringing the number of evacuated Nigerians in the current exercise to 335.
The evacuation took place as Nigerians reportedly stormed the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria over fears arising from renewed anti-migrant demonstrations in South Africa.
The tensions were heightened by reports that a Nigerian businessman popularly known as “Big Joe” was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen on Sunday outside his shop in Witbank, Mpumalanga Province.
South African police had yet to officially announce the cause of his death as of the time of the report.
Thousands of South Africans marched in major cities on Tuesday, demanding the removal of undocumented migrants from the country.
Police officers, supported by private security personnel, were deployed amid concerns that the protests could turn violent after anti-migrant groups set June 30 as the deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa.
Many foreign nationals were said to have fled their communities due to fear of violence and intimidation.
South African police said the protests were largely peaceful, although isolated incidents of looting, vandalism and assault were recorded.
In Johannesburg, police maintained a strong presence in the city centre, while businesses remained closed in parts of the commercial district.
The military was also deployed to Hillbrow, a suburb with a large migrant population, following reports that a teenager had been shot and a vehicle set ablaze.
Local media reported that protesters in Yeoville threw bricks at some homes occupied by migrants, while demonstrators in Germiston allegedly evicted suspected undocumented foreign nationals from their homes and handed them over to police for immigration checks.
Police said five people were arrested for allegedly looting a foreign-owned shop in Soweto.
In KwaZulu-Natal Province, about 10 people were arrested over looting, while a woman was arrested for assaulting a police officer and a man was detained over alleged intimidation following the reported assault of a foreign national.
The leader of the anti-migrant group, March and March, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, said the group would continue staging weekly protests for the next six months to pressure the government to deport undocumented migrants.
A member of another anti-migrant movement, Operation Dudula, also said the group would continue pushing police to arrest foreigners found to be living in South Africa illegally.
On the eve of the protests, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with some protest leaders in an effort to calm tensions.
While acknowledging concerns over immigration, Ramaphosa urged demonstrators to remain peaceful and warned against intimidation, vandalism and violence.
“Some foreign nationals who live in South Africa are here lawfully,” he said in his weekly newsletter.
“They work, study, raise families, invest in our economy and contribute positively to our society. They too are entitled to the protection of our laws and our Constitution.”
He added that the right to protest “does not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence.”
South African authorities said about 50,000 undocumented migrants had been arrested since January, while approximately 25,000 had already been repatriated, most of them from other African countries.
The renewed tension comes after earlier incidents involving Nigerians in South Africa.
On April 20, Amaramiro Emmanuel allegedly died after he was assaulted by members of the South African National Defence Force in Port Elizabeth.
Days later, on April 26, Ekpenyong Andrew was reportedly arrested in Pretoria and later found dead in a mortuary under circumstances still under investigation.
The Nigerian government had demanded thorough investigations into both deaths, while Nigerian community organisations continued to raise concerns over attacks on their members amid rising anti-foreigner sentiment.
In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Federal Government had intensified efforts to bring home Nigerians willing to return.
The ministry said the effort became necessary particularly ahead of the June 30 deadline set by South African groups for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
Despite the tension, the Federal Government reassured Nigerians still in South Africa of its commitment to their safety, pledging sustained high-level diplomatic engagement with the South African government.
The ministry said the latest batch of 269 returnees was accompanied by officials of the Nigerian Mission in South Africa and received in Lagos by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by the Director of the African Affairs Department, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe.
Ali-Gombe conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s message of reassurance to the returnees, reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting Nigerian nationals abroad.
“The batch of 269 evacuees, escorted by officials of the Nigerian Mission in South Africa, were officially received at the airport by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by the Director, African Affairs Department, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe, who conveyed the heartfelt greetings and assurances of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the returning nationals,” the ministry said.
The ministry stressed that the evacuation process remained ongoing and that more flights were expected in the coming days to bring back Nigerians who had completed screening and opted for voluntary return.
“With the June 30 deadline on undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa, the Federal Government wishes to reiterate the fact that the evacuation process is still on course and more flights are expected in the country in the next few days to evacuate all Nigerians that have been screened and cleared to voluntarily return to the country,” the ministry stated.
It added that the government would continue to engage South African authorities at the highest levels to ensure the protection of Nigerians living in the country.
Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, said many Nigerians who were stranded outside the mission in Pretoria during the protests had ignored embassy directives and instead responded to announcements by community members.
Ajayi said the mission had put in place a structured evacuation process and only invited screened persons to report when their flights were ready.
“The Nigerian community here puts people in a difficult situation. Our agreement was that it is only when the flight is coming that we call the people who are captured on the list because we have a list for different batches,” he said.
“The last time we called them, the community went overboard to announce that everybody should report, whereas that was not the case. It is not what we asked them to do.”
He said some of those staying in churches and outside the embassy were not part of the approved evacuation list.
“Some of these people you said are staying at the church were those who defied the mission’s notification and followed the community’s notification. They found themselves in such a situation, which is uncalled for.
“Some of them were not even captured during the screening exercise. They just showed up, while some were told to exercise patience so that we could call them when it was their turn. We are following due process to ensure that everything is orderly,” he added.
Ajayi disclosed that the Nigerian mission was engaging South African police over the reported killing of the Nigerian businessman in Mpumalanga.
He said the mission had also submitted protest notes and case files to the South African government over earlier cases involving Nigerians allegedly killed in the country.
“We have been liaising with the police, and we are getting a preliminary report concerning that incident. Yes, he is a Nigerian living there, but we are getting the details,” he said.
“As you are aware, there is a case that happened in April, and there was the case of the Uber driver in February. We have submitted the case files to the government. We have written a protest note to the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Ajayi said about 269 Nigerians arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, while the mission was still working to evacuate about 700 others who had voluntarily indicated interest in returning home.
“At the mission now, we have close to 150 people. We are doing the evacuation in batches. When it gets to their batch, we will evacuate them,” he said.
The President-General of the Nigerian Union South Africa, Barrister Smart Nwobi, said the union had advised Nigerians to close their shops and remain indoors while the protests were being monitored.
He said South African President Ramaphosa had assured that security personnel had been deployed to prevent loss of life or property during the protests.
“We instructed our people to close their shops and stay indoors,” Nwobi said.
“The South African President has assured that they have deployed enough resources for security agencies to ensure that no life or property is lost during the anti-migrant protest.”
He said the Nigerian Union, the Nigerian High Commission and other organisations had continued to provide shelter, food, blankets and other humanitarian support to displaced Nigerians awaiting evacuation.
According to him, about 79 men were taken to a nearby church after a pastor volunteered the facility as a refuge centre, while over 80 women and children remained at the Nigerian High Commission.
Nwobi disclosed that more than 600 Nigerians had already been screened and cleared for repatriation, while about 400 others were still hoping to benefit from the evacuation exercise.
He commended the Federal Government for keeping its promise to protect Nigerians and called on state governments to support returnees, citing Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who reportedly gave ₦1 million to returnees from the state to help them resettle.
He also urged the Federal Government to review Nigeria’s bilateral relationship with South Africa over recurring xenophobic attacks.
“Our government should review the agreement and relationship it has with South Africa in view of the ongoing xenophobia. Nigeria has received illegal immigrants without complaining,” he said.
The President of the Association of Yorubas in Diaspora, South Africa, Dr. Olusola Agbeniyi, said Tuesday’s anti-migrant march ended peacefully and did not result in attacks on Nigerians or other foreign nationals.
“Today’s march ended peacefully. Nothing happened. They only protested against illegal immigrants,” he said.
However, the Deputy Chairman of the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa, Western Cape Province, Leo Azebeokhai, urged the Federal Government to intensify diplomatic engagement with South Africa to address the challenges facing Nigerians in the country.
He said many Nigerians become undocumented not because they deliberately violate immigration laws, but because of difficulties renewing Nigerian passports and South African permits.
According to him, the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg remains the only centre where Nigerians can renew passports, forcing many to travel long distances from other provinces at huge cost.
“People travel from different provinces to Johannesburg just to renew their passports. A return flight from Cape Town can cost more than R3,000, and many simply cannot afford it,” he said.
Azebeokhai said NICASA had repeatedly appealed to the consulate to deploy mobile passport enrolment facilities to other provinces, but had been told the mission was awaiting approval and equipment from Nigeria.
He said delays had left many Nigerians with expired passports and exposed them to immigration-related problems.
He also urged the Nigerian government to engage South African authorities over delays in processing residence, work and business permits, which he said had left many law-abiding Nigerians without valid documentation despite submitting renewal applications.
“We need our documents renewed. We want to work, we want to do business. If you don’t get your business permit, you can’t do business. If you don’t get your work permit, you can’t work,” he said.
Azebeokhai also lamented delays in the evacuation process, saying many Nigerians abandoned their homes and livelihoods after government assurances that they would be repatriated.
He said the government promised five evacuation flights, but only two had operated so far, leaving many stranded in Pretoria and other areas.
“It’s about 596 nationals now, close to 600. About 66 were lifted by a citizen. We don’t even know who that person is, a Nigerian citizen who volunteered. Most people are kind of stranded,” he said.
He added that it was winter in South Africa and many stranded Nigerians were hungry and in need of humanitarian assistance.
Retired Nigerian ambassadors also called on the Federal Government to strengthen diplomatic engagement with South African authorities, speed up evacuation and pursue long-term measures to prevent recurring attacks on Nigerians.
Retired Ambassador Ogbole Amedu-Ode commended the government for commencing evacuation but urged authorities to intensify efforts amid reports of delays.
“The Federal Government is already engaging the South African authorities, and the airlifting of Nigerians concerned has commenced. However, going by some social media sources, there appear to be some hiccups in the airlift process. In that case, our authorities should double down on the airlift,” he said.
He also called for continuous monitoring and engagement with South African authorities, noting that Nigeria cannot physically secure its citizens inside another sovereign country.
Retired Ambassador to Algeria, Mohammed Mabdul, called for stronger diplomatic action, including regularly summoning the South African Ambassador to explain steps being taken to address the crisis.
He urged the Federal Government to set up an inter-ministerial committee involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Nigeria Immigration Service and National Emergency Management Agency to coordinate evacuation and reintegration of returnees.
Mabdul also advised Nigeria to take the matter to the African Union and seek collective measures to address recurring xenophobic attacks.
He further suggested a nationwide sensitisation campaign to discourage unnecessary travel to South Africa, except by those with permanent residence or valid employment and immigration documents.
He also proposed economic measures against South African business interests in Nigeria, including a review of the operations of companies such as MTN and DStv.
The National Association of University Students also condemned the reported xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa and threatened nationwide protests if the South African government fails to act within one week.
NAUS President, Meshach Nwankwo, described the attacks, intimidation and hate speech against Nigerians and other African nationals as unacceptable.
“The National Association of University Students unequivocally condemns every act of xenophobia, hate speech and violence directed against Nigerians and indeed any African living lawfully in another African nation,” he said.
The association urged South African authorities to investigate all reported attacks, prosecute those responsible and provide adequate protection for foreign nationals.
It also called on the South African High Commission in Nigeria to publicly reassure Nigerians of their safety.
NAUS warned that if no concrete action is taken within one week, it would mobilise peaceful nationwide protests, pursue lawful measures against South African-owned businesses in Nigeria and relocate its national headquarters to the South African High Commission in Abuja as a sustained protest.
The renewed anti-migrant demonstrations in South Africa have raised fresh concerns over the safety of Nigerians and other foreign nationals, while the Federal Government continues evacuation efforts for citizens who voluntarily wish to return home.
As an added bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE ebook titled: “How to use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion.”
Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating:
"....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic."
How to Order:
📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878
📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com
🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
_______________________________________________________________________
“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
LAWBREED — Equipping You For Greater Success!
_______________________________________________________________________
