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Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has strongly condemned the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa, describing the latest wave of attacks and discrimination against migrants as unacceptable and deeply troubling.
Speaking after the arrival of the first batch of 258 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa, Dabiri-Erewa said the returnees were targeted despite committing no offence.
“Those 258 that came in, none of them committed any crime. The only crime they committed was the colour of their skin; they are black migrants in South Africa,” she said.
The NiDCOM boss expressed disappointment at what she described as the failure of South African authorities to adequately protect foreign nationals, warning against the blanket stigmatisation of migrants.
“If one person commits a crime, get that person and deal with that person. You cannot generalise, and their government is looking the other way, and that is the sad part,” she added.
Dabiri-Erewa said Nigeria was continuing diplomatic engagements with South Africa, noting that discussions were ongoing between officials of both countries to address the situation and prevent further attacks.
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“What Nigeria will do in terms of bilateral relations, we will hear from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and maybe even the President. But honestly, enough is enough; enough really has to be enough,” she said.
She disclosed that more evacuation flights are expected in the coming days as Nigerian authorities work to bring home citizens who wish to leave South Africa amid growing fears over their safety.
“We are glad this first batch is home, and we are going to have, I think, three to five batches,” she stated.
Several returnees recounted painful experiences, alleging that they suffered discrimination, segregation and degrading treatment. Some claimed migrant families were isolated while their children were separated from others because of their nationality.
The latest incidents have renewed concerns over xenophobic violence in South Africa, where foreign nationals from countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique have repeatedly faced attacks over the years.
Successive Nigerian governments have condemned such attacks and demanded stronger action from Pretoria, insisting that African migrants deserve protection and equal treatment regardless of their country of origin.
