FG Seeks Compensation from South Africa for Nigerians’ Lost Properties

The Federal Government has announced plans to seek compensation from the South African government for Nigerians who were forced to abandon businesses, homes and other valuable assets while fleeing renewed xenophobic tensions in the country.

The move comes as another 269 Nigerians arrived in Lagos aboard the third government-assisted evacuation flight, bringing the total number of evacuees to 603.

The returnees include 268 Nigerians evacuated by Air Peace in the first batch, 66 airlifted by ValueJet in the second batch, and 269 brought back on the latest Air Peace flight.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief as the latest batch landed in Lagos, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, said the government had begun compiling records of businesses and properties abandoned by returning Nigerians.

According to Ajayi, the documentation will form the basis of discussions with South African authorities over possible compensation.

He explained that Nigerian officials had already initiated conversations with South African counterparts, including the country’s Deputy Minister of Finance, on the issue.

Ajayi said returnees had been instructed to accurately document all businesses, vehicles, movable and immovable assets they were leaving behind.

He noted that the Nigerian government would verify the information with South African authorities before formally pursuing compensation.

“We will not allow the investments and years of hard work of our citizens to be lost without seeking redress,” he said.

The envoy also dismissed claims that most Nigerians affected by the evacuation were undocumented migrants.

According to him, the majority entered South Africa legally but became victims of prolonged delays in the country’s immigration system while attempting to renew their permits.

He explained that backlogs at South Africa’s Home Affairs Department over the past few years had left many foreign nationals, including Nigerians, waiting for documentation, making it unfair to label them illegal immigrants.

Third evacuation flight arrives in Lagos

The latest evacuation was part of the five Air Peace flights approved by President Bola Tinubu to bring home Nigerians affected by the anti-immigrant protests.

The approval followed the screening and clearance of more than 1,000 Nigerians by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.

The returnees were received at the airport by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by the Director of African Affairs, Ambassador Haruna Ali Gombe, who conveyed President Tinubu’s goodwill message and reassured them of the government’s commitment to their welfare.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the evacuation exercise would continue beyond the June 30 deadline announced by South African authorities for undocumented foreigners.

The ministry also assured that the Federal Government would continue diplomatic engagement with Pretoria to ensure the safety and protection of Nigerians living in South Africa.

Ebienfa urged Nigerians still awaiting evacuation to remain calm, stay security conscious, avoid protest routes and maintain regular contact with the Nigerian High Commission for updates.

Nigerians in South Africa report calm despite protests

Meanwhile, Nigerians living in South Africa said the nationwide anti-immigrant protests remained largely peaceful due to a heavy deployment of security personnel.

South African authorities mobilised about 13,000 law enforcement officers, helicopters, drones and thousands of surveillance cameras across Gauteng Province to prevent a repeat of the violent unrest experienced in 2021.

A Nigerian resident in Johannesburg, who identified himself simply as Madueke, said businesses were shut and many residents stayed indoors as protesters marched through parts of the city.

He, however, noted that the presence of military personnel prevented attacks on businesses and residents.

According to him, security forces closely monitored the demonstrators, preventing the looting and destruction that had characterised previous xenophobic attacks.

Madueke appealed to the Nigerian government to provide additional evacuation flights, saying thousands of Nigerians were still waiting to return home after registering at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.

Law-abiding Nigerians cannot be forced out

Also speaking, National Secretary of the Igbo Union South Africa, Ezeanozie Eleberi, described the situation as calm but maintained that law-abiding Nigerians could not be forced out of the country by anti-immigrant groups.

He said only about 1,500 Nigerians had indicated interest in voluntary repatriation, while many others remain legally resident in South Africa with established businesses, jobs and families.

Eleberi argued that individuals leading the protests were private citizens without the authority to expel foreign nationals.

He added that Nigerian associations had continued working with the Nigerian High Commission to provide food, water and other emergency support to stranded citizens while warning them to avoid areas where tensions were high.

Eleberi also blamed South Africa’s immigration system for the documentation challenges facing many Nigerians, saying numerous permit renewal applications had remained unattended to for years.

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He urged Nigerians remaining in South Africa to stay calm, avoid confrontations with protesters, obey local laws and prioritise their safety while awaiting further developments.