More than 700 Nigerian citizens are currently stranded in various parts of South Africa just three days before a strict June 30, 2026, deadline issued by aggressive local anti-immigration groups.
Despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's prompt executive approval of operational funds to facilitate an emergency repatriation exercise, severe administrative bottlenecks and bureaucratic delays within federal ministries have blocked the actual disbursement of the money.
This funding delay has effectively halted planned rescue operations, leaving hundreds of registered Nigerians highly exposed to escalating xenophobic violence, economic displacement, and targeted physical attacks across South African municipalities.
Investigations revealed that while the Presidency greenlit funding for four consecutive evacuation flights after an initial emergency trip brought back 258 citizens, the funds have yet to hit the bank account of the designated national carrier, Air Peace.
Consequently, the airline has declined to deploy its Boeing 777 aircraft to Johannesburg until the outstanding logistical payments are formally confirmed.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) privately lamented that the administrative gridlock is severely sabotaging the national rescue strategy.
Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, painted a grim picture of the situation, disclosing that over 20 Nigerians have already lost their lives in the current wave of anti-foreigner hostilities, with numerous others forced to abandon their commercial properties.
"When we operated the first flight, it was paid for by Mr President. Then we submitted requests for four subsequent flights, which have also been approved by him. That was two weeks ago. But approval is different from when the money reaches Air Peace’s account," an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed.
Out of over 1,000 Nigerians who formally registered for emergency evacuation, only 324 have been repatriated so far through a chaotic mix of state efforts and sudden private interventions.
The first batch arrived in Lagos on June 11 via Air Peace, while a second batch of 66 citizens landed on Wednesday night, June 24, aboard a commercial South African Airways flight.
This second batch was made possible after conversations with Air Peace dragged, prompting the owner of ValueJet to step in philanthropically, paying out-of-pocket for 66 commercial airline tickets to rescue individuals who were already stranded with their luggage at the Nigeria High Commission.
Dipo Odebowale, Head of the Lagos Liaison Office of NiDCOM, welcomed the returnees on behalf of Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa, promising that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, is working tirelessly to bypass the bureaucratic logjam so that the remaining 700 citizens can be flown home safely before the looming deadline.
#XenophobiaSouthAfrica #NiDCOM #AirPeace #ValueJet #BiancaOjukwu #NigeriaEvacuation #PretoriaXenophobia
Despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's prompt executive approval of operational funds to facilitate an emergency repatriation exercise, severe administrative bottlenecks and bureaucratic delays within federal ministries have blocked the actual disbursement of the money.
This funding delay has effectively halted planned rescue operations, leaving hundreds of registered Nigerians highly exposed to escalating xenophobic violence, economic displacement, and targeted physical attacks across South African municipalities.
Investigations revealed that while the Presidency greenlit funding for four consecutive evacuation flights after an initial emergency trip brought back 258 citizens, the funds have yet to hit the bank account of the designated national carrier, Air Peace.
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Consequently, the airline has declined to deploy its Boeing 777 aircraft to Johannesburg until the outstanding logistical payments are formally confirmed.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) privately lamented that the administrative gridlock is severely sabotaging the national rescue strategy.
Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, painted a grim picture of the situation, disclosing that over 20 Nigerians have already lost their lives in the current wave of anti-foreigner hostilities, with numerous others forced to abandon their commercial properties.
"When we operated the first flight, it was paid for by Mr President. Then we submitted requests for four subsequent flights, which have also been approved by him. That was two weeks ago. But approval is different from when the money reaches Air Peace’s account," an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed.
Out of over 1,000 Nigerians who formally registered for emergency evacuation, only 324 have been repatriated so far through a chaotic mix of state efforts and sudden private interventions.
The first batch arrived in Lagos on June 11 via Air Peace, while a second batch of 66 citizens landed on Wednesday night, June 24, aboard a commercial South African Airways flight.
This second batch was made possible after conversations with Air Peace dragged, prompting the owner of ValueJet to step in philanthropically, paying out-of-pocket for 66 commercial airline tickets to rescue individuals who were already stranded with their luggage at the Nigeria High Commission.
Dipo Odebowale, Head of the Lagos Liaison Office of NiDCOM, welcomed the returnees on behalf of Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa, promising that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, is working tirelessly to bypass the bureaucratic logjam so that the remaining 700 citizens can be flown home safely before the looming deadline.
#XenophobiaSouthAfrica #NiDCOM #AirPeace #ValueJet #BiancaOjukwu #NigeriaEvacuation #PretoriaXenophobia
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