The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has disclosed that Ogun state has the highest number of the returnees from South Africa so far, even as 319 more Nigerians will be evacuated on Tuesday, following the spate of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in the former Apartheid enclave.
Dabiri-Erewa gave a breakdown of the 187 Nigerians who returned recently during a press conference on Monday in Abuja adding that the returnees have been profiled according to their states.
The CEO revealed the analysis of returnees according to states, enrolled to include; Abia 7, Anambra 13, Benue 1, Delta 15, Ebonyi 2, Edo 13, Ekiti 6, Enugu 7, Imo 28, Kogi 1, Kwara 3, Lagos 7, Ogun 30, Ondo 6, Osun 6, and Oyo 23; making it a total of 168 people.
She added that there were over 30 children among them, stressing that those who returned are not criminals, but very hard-working Nigerians who have lost everything they have ever worked for in South Africa.
“Their only crime was being black and being Nigerian. We had fathers separated from their children. There is a widow with four children who just had to come back home and there are already offers for scholarship to her children. We expect the state government to take responsibility for their citizens that have returned,” she said.
She said further that, “the states with the largest returnees are, Ogun state, 30 and Imo 28. When they returned, everybody got a Sim card and airtime that will last for two months and some money for transportation”.
She also announced that the Bank of Industry (BOI) has offered them soft loans, urging the documented returnees to contact the BOI on 07006275386664.
The NIDCOM boss who announced that another set of 319 Nigerians are expected to be evacuated by Air peace, Tuesday evening, pleaded with state governments to ensure proper reintegration for their citizens.
“319 Nigerians have registered to return, they are still being documented. As the next batch comes in, we will also profile them. State governments will be communicated to and we expect the government to help them”, she said.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja
