Anti-foreigner sentiment: Nigerian returnees from South Africa share their horrific experiences

Nigerians who recently returned from South Africa due to xenophobic attacks have shared their experiences, calling on the Federal Government to establish rehabilitation and reintegration programs to help them rebuild their lives after losing homes, businesses, and livelihoods.

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They also alleged that family members betrayed them by failing to help invest in properties and businesses in Nigeria while they lived in South Africa, with 315 more evacuees set to return to the country today on a final flight operated by Air Peace.

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A 49-year-old returnee from Edo State, who lived in South Africa for 11 years, recounted surviving xenophobic attacks on multiple occasions, including an incident in 2017 where he was attacked by gun-wielding South Africans who claimed Nigerians were taking their women.

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The returnee, who was married to a South African and had two children, said his passport was thrown into the bush by armed South Africans, and he was forced to beg for his life after a revolver was pointed at him.

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Another returnee, who preferred to remain anonymous, described life in South Africa as increasingly hostile, with many foreigners living in constant fear of attacks, harassment, and discrimination, forcing many families to abandon their businesses and homes.

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A disturbing account came from a returnee who alleged that his family members lured him to an Islamic cleric's residence, where he was forced into a room with poor living conditions after demanding his properties, a claim also made by another returnee, @Adeyinka Ayaba Ibarapa, on TikTok.

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@Adeyinka Ayaba Ibarapa claimed she lost her properties after returning home, and her blood sister gave her excuses before eventually stopping communication, a similar experience to another returnee who alleged his relatives deceived him into visiting an Alfa for prayers before locking him in a room.

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Chikezie Igwe, another returnee, narrowly escaped death during the attacks and warned Nigerians still in South Africa to leave while they can, recounting how a friend who refused to escape with him was killed.

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Mrs. Ilugbadebo Oyebola, who returned to Nigeria with her family after 11 years in South Africa, described the period as traumatic, with no stable jobs, no access to proper healthcare, and constant discrimination due to their foreign status.

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Oyebola recalled a painful experience where she was ordered to clean a hospital floor immediately after giving birth because she was not a South African, an experience that left her traumatized, and her children also faced discrimination in school.

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Despite the hardship, Oyebola expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for facilitating their return, as the government prepares to bring back 315 more Nigerians today on the final evacuation flight from South Africa.

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Kimiebi Ebienfa, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, disclosed that the fifth and final evacuation flight would depart Johannesburg at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, and arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 6:30 a.m.

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The Air Peace-operated flight marks the conclusion of the federal government's evacuation of Nigerians who indicated interest in returning home, following the recent xenophobic attacks and security concerns in parts of South Africa, with the government reaffirming its commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad.