By Opeyemi Adelakun
Nigerians evacuated from South Africa have recounted harrowing experiences of xenophobic attacks, discrimination, shattered livelihoods and alleged betrayal by family members, urging the Federal Government to immediately roll out rehabilitation and reintegration programmes to help them rebuild their lives.
The appeals came as the Federal Government prepares to receive the final batch of 315 evacuees from Johannesburg today, bringing to a close its emergency evacuation exercise following renewed anti-foreigner attacks in South Africa.
Many of the returnees said they abandoned homes, businesses and personal belongings built over several years after insecurity escalated, leaving them with little or nothing on their return to Nigeria.
One returnee from Edo State, who spent 11 years in South Africa, said he survived repeated xenophobic attacks, recalling how armed men once pointed a gun at him and threw away his passport before he eventually recovered it.
He said the latest wave of attacks had become more dangerous because foreigners were now being targeted irrespective of whether they possessed valid immigration documents.
According to him, many migrants now live in constant fear, making it almost impossible to renew official documents or move about freely.
Another returnee described the atmosphere in South Africa as increasingly hostile, saying many Nigerians were forced to abandon years of investment and flee for safety as violence intensified.
Some evacuees also alleged that their return to Nigeria exposed them to another painful ordeal — betrayal by trusted relatives.
One returnee claimed that after demanding accountability for properties he acquired while abroad, family members deceived him into visiting an Islamic cleric under the guise of prayers before confining him in a room with other victims.
Similar allegations surfaced online, with another returnee claiming she was repeatedly given excuses whenever she demanded information about properties she entrusted to relatives while living overseas.
Another evacuee, Chikezie Igwe, said he narrowly escaped death during the attacks, revealing that a close friend who ignored his advice to leave South Africa was later killed.
Mrs. Ilugbadebo Oyebola, who returned with her family after spending 11 years in South Africa, also recounted years of discrimination, alleging that she was humiliated in a hospital after childbirth because she was not a South African.
She further claimed that her children frequently experienced discrimination in school, where they were sometimes denied recognition because of their nationality.
Despite their experiences, several returnees expressed appreciation to the Nigerian government for facilitating their safe return, while insisting that evacuation alone was not enough.
They urged the Federal Government to provide financial support, business grants, vocational training and psychosocial assistance to help displaced Nigerians restart their lives.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the fifth and final evacuation flight, operated by Air Peace, is scheduled to arrive in Lagos today with 315 Nigerians, marking the end of the emergency evacuation programme.
The ministry reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad and thanked all agencies and stakeholders that participated in the evacuation exercise.
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