Xenophobic attack: Concerns mount over fate of returnee Nigerians

…Govt tasked to emulate Ghana on special jobs for returnees

By this time tomorrow, June 15, 2026, a second flight carrying additional Nigerians from a group of 586 processed for return, from the over 1000 that expressed interest to return, would have landed in Lagos from Johannesburg, South Africa.

The second flight, courtesy of Peace Air, carrying the second batch of returnees, followed the first batch of 258 Nigerian returnees that touched down at the Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on June 11, 2026, under an ongoing voluntary repatriation programme facilitated by the Federal Government due to the escalating attacks on African immigrants in the country.

So far, the Nigerian government has been receiving commendations for facilitating the safe return of its citizens, as well as profiling them, ensuring proper documentation, and medical screening as part of measures for their smooth reception and reintegration into society.

There have been great promises for assistance by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and other government agencies, private bodies, philanthropists, and state governments, like Imo State, that reportedly gave N1 million to each returnee from the state, amid assurance of resettlement and job opportunities.

But pressure still mounts on the government as many citizens expressed concern that the returnees, who are fleeing maltreatment and attacks in South Africa, may be returning to a harsher situation if the government has no plan for them, other than bringing them back home or making just promises on camera that are never fulfilled.

Based on previous cases, some observers are pointing to the government to a more workable approach, especially by the Ghanian government, which was the first to evacuate its citizens from the persisting xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

According to them, the Ghanaian government has opened job portals for returnee citizens, across office work, small-scale businesses and grants to ensure better resettlement and reintegration.

“Some Ghanaian lecturers, who are legitimately living in South Africa, are leaving the country in solidarity with their undocumented brothers and sisters being evacuated. The good thing is that they are being absorbed in Ghana universities, and the government is guaranteeing job opportunities for other professionals willing to return. I have friends who are involved,” Olumide Ojolanre, a Nigerian academic, said.

Kwesi Frimpong, an Accra-based entrepreneur, disclosed that beyond the job portals, the Ghanaian government is also compiling claims by its returnee citizens and preparing to make demands for reparation from the South African government.

“They said our people were undocumented, yet they run businesses there, which are looted or abandoned now. They also pay taxes too. No, there has to be compensation because each time an attack happens, our people bear the loss alone. I like the firm stand of our government on this issue now, and other African countries should do the same,” he said.

Toeing the line of Frimpong, Ginikanwa Emelonye, a Nigerian lawyer, who schooled and worked in South Africa for years before returning in 2022, lamented that the Nigerian government should go beyond the profiling of the returnees to also documenting what each has lost through the looting of their businesses and destruction of their properties in the xenophobic violence.

“I lived in South Africa for 13 years. I experienced three xenophobic attacks, so I know the pain, the loss and the hatred that follow. Some of the returnees are doing well over there, but the looting has impoverished them.

“So, what are they returning to do, considering that many of them are the breadwinners of the families? They really need assistance from everybody and not only the government to stablise after their return,” he said.

Emelonye, who noted that some of the attackers are friends to the returnee Nigerians in the day and enemies during crisis, lamented that some of the returnees with physical injuries, are leaving behind looted shops, destroyed businesses and properties, abandoned investments, and seized assets.

“We need the Nigerian government to document the huge losses of the returnees and push for compensation from the South African government, which is directly encouraging the attacks on other African nationals,” he said.

“As our brothers and sisters return home, their properties in South Africa will be stolen, their assets seized, those running ongoing financial investments will lose their money and no documented Nigerian in South Africa can challenge the authorities there, else they will victimise you.

“The Nigerian government should insist on compensation this time because South Africa has always had its ways in the past. It should be challenged now, boycotted or even severe diplomatic relationship with,” he said.

Ojolanre is also requesting for compensation for those with physical injuries, relatives of those killed or permanently harmed, and some Nigerian students caught in the crossfire, who are facing victimisation and hatred in South African schools today.

“I saw children of school age among the returnees, what is the future of their education, can they easily assimilate, can their families cope with the realities back home? These are questions and reasons the government needs to resettle the returnees very fast,” he said.

He insisted that Nigerian students in South Africa are not safe too because hatred, according to him, is contagious and often displayed by the high and mighty, educated and even respected leaders.

Inuwa Ayuba, a security expert, recommended that the government should set up a rehabilitation scheme for the returnees, to ensure smooth resettlement, reintegration in the society and also from taking to crime.

“The government that is deradicalizing and rehabilitating bandits and terrorists, who have killed many innocent souls, should also extend that same gesture to the returnees, who left the country, in the first place, due to the harsh situation,” he said.

According to him, it is the action and inaction of the government that has made South Africa always maltreat Nigerians in their country.

“If our government jettison its ‘Africa First’ foreign policy, it will become firm on issues like xenophobia. If we retaliate accordingly, close our embassy or severe diplomatic relations with South Africa, as the case may be, they would not have been a case of returnees in the first place or need to resettle them,” he noted.

However, many still fear that after the government’s evacuation exercise, the returnees are most likely going to be carry their respective cross alone, with those without any investment in the country or anyone to help, falling back to the sad level they were before leaving the country.

“If we are truly the giant of Africa, let the government work to address harsh realities back home, insecurity and every other thing that make Nigerians to leave to country.

“Let’s regain our respect, and make the life of every Nigerian matter, instead of being laughed at across the world because of realties. Soon, Benin Republic will close their doors to us if we don’t sit up,” Ojolanre concluded.