The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has repatriated another 105 Nigerians from South Africa, bringing the total to 205 distressed Nigerians brought home under the church’s humanitarian intervention following renewed xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans in the country.
The latest returnees, comprising 55 adults, 45 children and five infants, arrived in Lagos as part of the church’s planned evacuation of 500 Nigerians stranded in South Africa.
The intervention followed an appeal from Nigerians in South Africa and the Nigerian High Commission, prompting the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to approve the church’s intervention on humanitarian grounds. RCCG has committed $ 265,265.854 to buy one-way tickets to evacuate the 500 Nigerians.
Speaking on the intervention, Chairman of the RCCG Task Force on the Reception of Nigerian Returnees from South Africa and Special Assistant to the General Overseer on Special Duties, Pastor Belemina Obunge, said the exercise was a humanitarian contribution to complement the Federal Government’s efforts.
Obunge said the church made the decision after receiving what he described as an “SOS clarion cry” from Nigerians in South Africa, which the Nigerian High Commission later echoed.
He said, “The RCCG’s efforts basically are a humanitarian contribution towards the efforts of the Federal Government in making sure that Nigerians who were stranded in South Africa are brought back.
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👉 JOIN WHATSAPP CHANNEL“There was an SOS clarion cry by Nigerians in South Africa. The High Commission in South Africa echoed it; it reached the ears of the General Overseer, and he, with a heart of compassion, determined that the Church should intervene.
“It was resolved that 500 Nigerians stranded in South Africa should be brought in and airlifted, sponsored by the Church.”
According to him, the first batch of 100 Nigerians returned last week, while the latest 105 constituted the second batch, with about 300 more expected to return after completing the necessary documentation and clearance procedures.
Obunge explained that the Nigerian High Commission, in collaboration with South African authorities, profiles affected Nigerians before forwarding their names to the relevant authorities for clearance and eventual transport to Nigeria.
He said the returnees were not selected on the basis of religion or RCCG membership, stressing that the intervention covered Nigerians regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.
“Our national anthem says, ‘Though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.’ We believe in that anthem,” he said.
“Those being brought in are from different tribes, speak different tongues and practise different religions. They are not all members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. In fact, we don’t even know whether any of them is a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
“They are wonderful Nigerians and, by the grace of God, they are part of those to whom we have an assignment.”
The latest intervention comes amid renewed anti-foreigner tensions in South Africa and a September 30 deadline issued by the March and March group for foreign nationals to leave the country. The deadline was not an official South African government evacuation order, but it heightened concerns among Nigerians and other foreign nationals.
The Nigerian government had earlier undertaken a series of evacuation exercises following the resurgence of xenophobic attacks. By September 26, the Federal Government said 1,821 Nigerians had been evacuated through 13 consular evacuations, with 1,388 of them fully funded by the government.
The RCCG intervention has therefore added to the government-led evacuation efforts, alongside support from private individuals and charitable organisations. The Federal Government’s earlier phases had already brought home more than 1,400 Nigerians by July, while the Nigerian High Commission later appealed to private organisations and individuals for additional support for those still seeking to return.
‘They Are Not Forgotten’
Obunge urged returnees to regard their homecoming as a new beginning, encouraging them to use the skills and experience they gained abroad to rebuild their lives in Nigeria.
“What we are telling them is that they are not forgotten. They should realise that this is a new beginning. God has a plan for them. They should connect with God, and they shouldn’t lose hope,” he said.
He added that Nigeria needed their talents, skills and contributions, urging them to look to the future with confidence.
Also speaking at the reception, a representative of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Azeez Afuku, commended RCCG for complementing the Federal Government’s efforts.
Afuku said NEMA and other government agencies had been involved in receiving Nigerians returning from South Africa, adding that the church’s intervention was welcome.
He explained that the returnees were documented and profiled upon arrival to enable the government to provide further assistance and facilitate their reintegration.
According to him, NEMA would also coordinate their transportation to their respective state capitals so they could reunite with their families.
‘Police Arrested Us, Businesses Were Destroyed’
Some of the returnees recounted harrowing experiences in South Africa, including alleged harassment, police arrests and attacks on their businesses.
One of them, Pauline Ijeoma, who said she had lived in South Africa for several years, described the situation as increasingly unbearable.
She said she was forced to return after repeatedly encountering difficulties with the police while operating her food business.
“Every time you go out, the police must arrest you,” she said, adding that even Nigerians with valid documents were allegedly subjected to repeated questioning and demands for money.
Ijeoma, who said her husband died in South Africa, expressed relief at returning home with her family.
“We are so grateful and so happy to be home, because there is no place like home,” she said.
Another returnee, Chukuma Agustin Ayoka, said xenophobic attacks and the destruction and looting of Nigerian-owned businesses had made life increasingly difficult.
He said many Nigerians could no longer leave their homes freely or run their businesses, prompting them to seek help to return home.
“We have no other choice but to seek rescue, and Redeemed came to our rescue,” he said.
Representing the Abia State Government, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Choma Thomas, said the state was at the airport to receive Abia indigenes returning through the RCCG programme.
She said Governor Alex Otti had approved ₦1 million in support for each returning family or individual as part of efforts to help them settle back into society.
Thomas said the state had already supported 31 families with about ₦32 million and was preparing to extend assistance to additional returnees.
The RCCG Task Force said the church expected about 300 more Nigerians to return under the programme, subject to completion of profiling and clearance by the Nigerian High Commission and South African authorities.
Obunge urged the returnees to see their return as the beginning of another chapter.
“Nigeria needs your stamina, Nigeria needs your talent, Nigeria needs your contribution,” he said. “We urge you, look ahead with faith, look ahead with confidence. The best is yet to come.”
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