Xenophobic attack: South African immigration delays evacuation of Nigerians

Nigerians returning from South Africa back home due to the xenophobic attacks in that country are being delayed by the South African Immigration services.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission told newsmen at the Hajj and cargo terminal of the Lagos Airport, that the South African Immigration services had insisted on conducting another round of documentation on the returnees.

Dabiri-Erewa said this situation had led to the delay in the take off of the aircraft billed for evacuation early this morning.

Dabiri stated that 317 were already on the manifest to be airlifted, 86 females and the rest are males.

The 2pm initially slated for the arrival of the Returnees has been shifted to 6pm due to the development in South Africa.

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On arrival she said the Returnees would be profiled and given stipend in the form of transport fares that take them to get to their respective states of origin.

Erewa said government had mobilized the Bank of Industry to work out skills acqisition and other social intervention programmes for those who show interest.

IFEOMA OKEKE

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.