More than 700 Nigerians remain stranded in South Africa just days before the June 30 deadline issued by anti-immigration groups, amid delays in the Federal Government’s evacuation programme.
Despite President Bola Tinubu’s approval of funds for additional rescue flights, bureaucratic bottlenecks have reportedly delayed the release of money to the designated airline, leaving hundreds of Nigerians exposed to growing xenophobic tensions.
Sources within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa said the delay has stalled evacuation efforts, as Air Peace has reportedly declined to deploy aircraft until payment is confirmed.
According to officials, more than 1,000 Nigerians registered for voluntary evacuation, but only 324 have returned home so far. The first batch of 258 evacuees arrived on June 11 aboard Air Peace, while another 66 were flown home on June 24 through an intervention by ValueJet.
Officials disclosed that Air Peace had planned to operate four additional evacuation flights using its Boeing 777 aircraft, but the mission has yet to commence due to unresolved payment issues.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official revealed that some Nigerians had already been instructed to report to the airport in Johannesburg for a scheduled evacuation flight before it was cancelled because of the funding delay. Those unable to return to their accommodation were temporarily sheltered at the Nigerian High Commission.
The official expressed optimism that the payment process would be completed soon, allowing evacuation flights to resume.
Meanwhile, NiDCOM acknowledged that logistical challenges, including aircraft availability, have slowed the operation but maintained that the Federal Government remains committed to evacuating all registered Nigerians.
The situation has heightened anxiety among Nigerians living in South Africa as anti-immigration groups continue to intensify their campaign against foreign nationals.
President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, claimed that more than 20 Nigerians have died since the latest wave of xenophobic attacks began, while many others have reportedly been assaulted, displaced, or forced to abandon their businesses.
He alleged that some victims were killed extrajudicially, while others died from the trauma of losing their livelihoods after their shops were vandalised or looted.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Union South Africa, Akin Olunloyo, described the atmosphere as tense, saying many Nigerians are living in fear due to harassment, intimidation, physical attacks, and threats by anti-immigration groups.
He noted that organised campaigns and protests have created widespread uncertainty ahead of the June 30 deadline, prompting many Nigerians to seek evacuation.
A Nigerian trader based in Johannesburg also recounted losing more than ₦15 million after being unable to operate her business for nearly a month due to fears of attacks and alleged police-backed raids on foreign nationals.
However, the Federal Government has assured affected citizens that the evacuation exercise will resume soon.
In a statement issued by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, the government explained that the programme was temporarily suspended because of logistical and technical challenges, which have now been resolved.
The mission urged all Nigerians who have completed the screening process to remain on standby, noting that they would be contacted individually once their flight schedules are confirmed. It also appealed to South African authorities to provide adequate protection for Nigerian citizens before, during, and after the June 30 deadline.