Nigerians repatriated from South Africa after attacks

Nigeria began repatriating more than 600 of its citizens from South Africa following a wave of deadly xenophobic attacks that frayed relations among neighbouring nations.

Private Nigerian airline Air Peace volunteered to fly people for free back to the commercial capital Lagos on Wednesday.

A flight carrying 189 Nigerians landed in the commercial capital Lagos late Wednesday, with some of those onboard punching the air and singing the national anthem while waving pictures of burnt shops.

"I ran for my life, they would have killed me," Samson Aliyu, a clothes seller who lived in South Africa for two years, told AFP news agency.

"They burnt my shop, everything," he added.

The repatriation came after riots in Pretoria and Johannesburg killed at least 12 people as 1,000 foreign-owned businesses were targeted. The nationalities of those killed have not been announced but Nigerians, Ethiopians, Congolese, and Zimbabweans were attacked, according to local media.

Pastor Ugo Ofoegbu has lived in South Africa for close to two decades. He sent his wife and three children back to Nigeria.

South African violence: Nigeria recalling top diplomat
"My family is not safe here," Ofoegbu told Al Jazeera.

Precious Oluchi Mbabie, a 35-year-old Nigerian woman who works as a fashion designer and seamstress in a Johannesburg suburb, boarded the flight with her three children, leaving her husband behind.

"We agreed that it is better I go back home with the children," said Mbabie.

She and her family live in Rosettenville, one of the first areas to be affected by the violence.

"Where we are staying is very dangerous because of xenophobia," she said. "They say they don't want any foreigners there."

Reprisal attacks in Nigeria last week forced South African business to shut down, while the South African embassy in Lagos temporarily closed its doors over safety concerns.

Not just Nigerians

More than 700 people from other countries, including Malawi and Zimbabwe, have sought refuge in community centres. Many left their homes with little more than a few bags when the violence began.

One is Mozambican Oscar Setuve, who registered for a temporary travel document to return home. He has lived in South Africa for 30 years, but lost everything in the riots.

"What made me run is that I saw how they were attacking people, attacking them like dogs. And some of the people who were attacking us were people that have known us for a long time. That's what hurts me the most," Setuve said.

Mozambique and Zimbabwe were also considering some sort of repatriation of their nationals.

Al Jazeera's Fahmida Miller, reporting from the airport in Johannesburg, said a small group was turned back because of "incorrect documentation".

Ofoegbu said they will have to go to the Nigerian consulate to get the right papers before travelling.

Police on high alert

It was not the first time that foreigners were attacked in South Africa.

In 2008, at least 62 people, including South Africans, were killed. Violence and looting targeting foreign-owned stores left seven dead in 2015.

"I am so worried about the safety of my family, because these [xenophobic] attacks keep happening, so if I don't save my family now, I don't know when [this will] start again," Ofoegbu said.

"It happened in 2008 and then in 2015, now it is repeating."

The root cause of the latest violence is still unclear, but high unemployment, poverty and criminality may have played a role.

Foreigners in South Africa fear for safety after attacks
South African officials were hesitant to describe the violence as xenophobic attacks, and instead said it was an issue of criminality that the government was trying to deal with.

"While there has been a significant decline in the number of incidents, police forces remain on high alert and are closely monitoring hotspots to ensure further violence does not erupt," Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said.

Police have arrested at least 653 people, mostly South Africans but some foreigners as well, in connection to the attacks, Minister of Police Bheki Cele said.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to visit South Africa next month to discuss the violence and seek a solution.

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2019/09/nigeria-begins-repatriate-nationals-south-africa-190911074310949.html

You no treat cancer wen e dey grow small small..na wen e don grow reach wen every medical options go fail.na e u wan run go see doctor...it will take only miracle.

You did well ,I’ve never for once liked the SA for anything,I’m glad they are all watching big brother naija and not big brother Africa ,now they’ll understand that we are truly the only country in Africa that has what it takes to make things happen.

Glad you're safe

If we were suffering these in a white man's land, it wouldn't have been very alarming. But suffering these in the hands of SA is like a small state fighting a war with a country.


Since Nigeria has failed to live up to its name as giants of Africa, why these ones no go form under dogs?

Nigerians should try and respect themselves by doing legitimate business within or outside the country.
We are not the only country in Africa continent and yet we keep experiencing rejection every now and then from other countries... isn’t that a shame?

Let us dignify ourselves and stay in our country and stop all these quest for crimes. I can tell you that upto about 75% of Nigerians in other countries are into crimes, thereby making life difficult for other Nigerians into legitimate businesses.

We act as if we are the most hustling set of people on planet earth.

Also pray so that buhari will not kill you too

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Thank God you're alive to tell this story

Too bad

and MTN is still doing dataphobia here

eehyah so sorry

I pray you wont end up running from SARS, BANDITS AND KIDNAPPERS here.
Brace up, life is a Miracle here

We really have no choice now but to put all hands on deck to make this country a place to be. That is the only option left right now for us to stem the tide of hostility Nigerians endure in foreign countries.

Nigeria must become great for OUR OWN SAKE.

See my signature

You really played the game of *eni ori'yo o di ile* well






Inside life







Welcome home

Police men full their embassy today, it seems they are feeling it......

How many km did you run??.

This is the best time to travel to SA! Flight tickets should be at an all time low.

The safe half bread you'll earn here is better than the deadly full bread you'll get there.

good run. welcome back

I thought they said only Igbo get attacked in South Africa

Ok....Thank God for your life...

But Nigerian government told us that nobody knows Fe was lost in South Africa... I just don't understand those people seff.

Welcome back home bro.... God will surely provide for you all.

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As if Nigeria is a better option, most of these returning, returned because they think they will get handout.

Na wa

.

THE gODS R STILL SILENT ON THIS mATTER

same as they said all black foreigners there are Nigerians
be careful of what you hear

niaralandtopuser:
I thought they said only Igbo get attacked in South Africa

Thank God for your life..

Some of these Nigerians can lie that even the devil will carry bible and start preaching.


Don't mind all these liars. Their shops were never burnt neither was their houses. Most of them don't even have shops to start with. They can't even afford to rent ordinary shack in a location talk more of renting shop. All they do is roam around Johannesburg like homeless rats.

;Db