The first batch of 258 Nigerians, including children, has arrived home after being evacuated from South Africa, where they had been escaping the escalating shadows of xenophobia. They filed out one after the other on arrival.
A delegation of high-level federal officials welcomed them on behalf of President Bola Tinubu. The Foreign Minister said he addressed them with mixed feelings, expressing sorrow over the ordeal his compatriots had endured while welcoming them back home.
The minister said the government is doing everything possible through various reforms to make home conducive for all, and pledged to continue engaging South Africa to ensure Nigerian nationals are given better treatment. He cited existing mechanisms, including the Binational Commission between the two countries.
Authorities said the returnees were being profiled by immigration, the Department of State Services and other security agencies. Those without documents are being registered so that the number and identity of those who have returned can be established.
Arrangements were made to transport the returnees to their respective states, with adequate security provided for those willing to go back home. Officials said the exercise should be completed before the end of the month, with a few more batches still expected.
Several returnees recounted what they had been through. One woman said she felt she had wasted a year after joining her husband there, achieving nothing, while another described being targeted, with attackers using accusations to seize property. A returnee from Imo State said he now looks forward to starting a business and finding accommodation to rebuild his life.
As Nigeria welcomed its citizens back, officials and returnees alike framed the journey home not only as an escape from violence but as the beginning of rebuilding their lives, amid renewed calls for stronger protection of African nationals across the continent.