Nigeria: Xenophobia - 111 More Distressed Nigerians Return From South Africa

What the report says

Another group of 111 Nigerian nationals has returned from South Africa as part of the ongoing evacuation linked to xenophobic attacks there, according to Daily Trust, republished by AllAfrica. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the returnees arrived in Lagos on 8 October 2026 aboard a South African Airways flight and were received by officials from several Nigerian agencies, including the Ministry, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NAPTIP and NEMA.

The batch included 44 men, 23 women and 44 children. The article says their evacuation was financed through a donation from the Redeemed Christian Church of God, which had pledged support for the repatriation of 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa. With this latest arrival, 318 people have reportedly benefited from the church-funded tickets, leaving 182 still to be evacuated under that commitment.

The report says this is the 15th consular evacuation from South Africa since the exercise began on 10 June 2026, bringing the total number of Nigerians repatriated to 2,037. Of those, 1,388 had their return fully paid for by the federal government. The government said it remains engaged with South African authorities on xenophobia and Afrophobia and advised Nigerians in the country to stay alert, follow local laws and keep in contact with Nigerian consular offices for help.