.We were harassed, threatened, and helpless
By Idriss LAWAL
Touching down in Abuja, Nigeria, from South Africa, Nigerian returnees have a lot to say, and most of them are not pleasant.
Newsafricng.com spoke with a number of them, and none of it was palatable. Their experiences sound like a horror script coming from intimidation, loss of properties, looting, harassment, and threats to life.
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From the first batch of 258 evacuees from a group of more than 1,100 Nigerians who registered to come home after recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, only a few volunteered to tell their stories to the media. Many chose to walk away with what is left of their dignity.
The Nigerian government is partnering with Air Peace, and this would be the first of five evacuation flights from Johannesburg.
The flight touched down at some minutes past 10 am, and by 10.30, when they disembarked, led by women, children, and youths with somber expressions. Some, especially the elderly among them, expressed sheer relief at reaching Nigeria safely.
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Once the profiling was done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other federal agencies took time to advise them and offer medical screening.
A woman who declined to give her name said she moved to South Africa 20 years ago in her 20s and is now in her mid-40s.
“I got married in South Africa, but my husband is late now. I’ve spent all my fruitful years in South Africa, and to return home like this is disheartening; it is depressing. But, I’m grateful for life.’
Daniel, in his 30s, covered his face with a nose mask throughout the interview with newsafricng.com.
He said he was extorted, discriminated against, and his house looted. “I volunteered to return home to flee from the abuse by South Africans and their system that is riddled with corruption.
The woman, who came back with three children, added: “South Africans see other Africans as enemies. Nigerians seeking greener pastures should think twice before going there.”
Another returnee, James Ogunleye, who said he had lived in South Africa for more than 15 years, advised Nigerians not to go to the Mandela country.
He said, “I will not advise any Nigerian to travel to that country. The South Africans do not want to see other Africans prosper. There is no job for anybody thinking of making it there. I am happy to be back home alive; it feels like the years I spent there were wasted.”
Another returnee, Stanley Osawaru, who said he spent more than 16 years in South Africa, alleged that attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants had become increasingly frequent.
He said: “Anywhere you go, they attack you. They see Nigerians on the street and dispossess them of their valuables. They loot our shops and destroy our businesses for no just cause.”
Director-General of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa said the returnees had voluntarily chosen to leave South Africa because of the xenophobic attacks.
She added that they were undergoing SIM-card registration, immigration checks, and other screening procedures.
According to Dabiri-Erewa, each returnee will receive N50,000 worth of airtime from MTN and N100,000 from the Federal Government, alongside offers from state governments and non-governmental organisations.
She said Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma promised N1 million for each Imo indigene among the evacuees and appealed to state governments to assist with reintegration.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Dr. Bernard Doro said the evacuees’ return was the result of sustained intervention by multiple agencies.
