The federal government on Thursday, September 17, evacuated 33 distressed Nigerians from South Africa amid renewed xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Africans in the country.
The development was disclosed by the minister of foreign affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in a statement on the situation in South Africa.
The returnees were from Delta, Ogun, Imo, Lagos, Enugu, Oyo, Edo, Ondo and Bayelsa states.
Ojukwu said the latest evacuation followed what she described as unrelenting xenophobic incidents in South Africa and warned that the situation was not improving.
She confirmed that two Nigerians, James Uchechukwu Nwankwo and Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle, were killed in separate incidents in South Africa in September.
Fakunle was killed at his residence in Kensington, Johannesburg, on September 4, while Nwankwo died in Somerset, Cape Town, on September 5.
The federal government condemned the killings and called on South African authorities to thoroughly investigate the incidents and bring those responsible to justice.
Ojukwu also noted that the national assembly had suspended official visits to South Africa and boycotted legislative activities hosted by South African authorities.
She commended the Private Group of Business Friends for funding the evacuation of 26 of the 33 returnees.
The group had previously funded the repatriation of 83 Nigerians and another 67, bringing the number of Nigerian nationals it had supported to 176 with the latest exercise.
The Nigerian Lawyers Association South Africa also funded the return of five Nigerians, while a private citizen from Bayelsa state supported the repatriation of three Bayelsa indigenes.
The Igbo Lawyers Association South Africa had also recently funded the repatriation of 28 Nigerian nationals.
The minister commended the groups and individuals for supporting Nigerians affected by the situation and appealed to state governments to assist their indigenes who had been forced to return home.
She particularly commended Enugu state governor Peter Mbah for hosting a reception for 77 families comprising 112 Enugu indigenes who recently returned from South Africa.
At the reception, Mbah presented N1 million to each of the 77 families to support their resettlement, totalling N77 million.
The state government is also profiling about 42 additional returnee families in collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.
The federal government said it would continue to facilitate the safe return of Nigerians affected by the security situation in South Africa and work with relevant authorities to protect their interests.
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