Dozens of Nigerians in South Africa have sought refuge at the Nigerian High Commission over fears of possible xenophobic attacks linked to planned anti-immigrant demonstrations, with many remaining stranded despite ongoing evacuation efforts by the Federal Government.
- +Nigerians in South Africa seek safety at Nigerian embassy amid xenophobia fears
The situation was captured in a video shared by News Central on Monday, showing crowds of Nigerians gathered at the embassy as uncertainty surrounded the timing and scale of the latest evacuation exercise.
The situation was captured in a video shared by News Central on Monday, showing crowds of Nigerians gathered at the embassy as uncertainty surrounded the timing and scale of the latest evacuation exercise.
According to News Central, women and children among those gathered at the embassy were given priority to stay within the premises overnight.
One stranded Nigerian explained that those gathered at the embassy were not necessarily there to travel immediately, but to seek safety ahead of anticipated unrest.
The same individual expressed cautious optimism about the pace of evacuations, noting that a second batch of returnees had already departed and that the process had shown improvement.
Another person at the embassy described the broader fear driving people to the mission, framing it as an instinctive search for safety among compatriots.
He directly appealed to Nigerian authorities to clarify what contingency plans existed for citizens who could not be evacuated immediately.
Women and children gathered at the embassy were reportedly given priority to remain within the premises overnight, while officials worked through arrangements for the remaining evacuees still awaiting confirmation of departure.
Earlier this month, Nairametrics reported that the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA) said hundreds of Nigerians enrolled in the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme were left stranded in South Africa without access to shelter, food, and financial support.
The affected citizens were unable to return home after delays in scheduled evacuation flights disrupted the repatriation process, despite completing the required registration and screening procedures.
NICASA disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, with its National President, Frank Onyekwelu, saying the situation had created a worsening humanitarian crisis for families who travelled from different provinces across South Africa after being instructed to report for the exercise.