Nigeria Evacuates Citizens from South Africa Amid Xenophobia

Following a renewed wave of xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, President Bola Tinubu approved five emergency Air Peace flights to evacuate stranded Nigerians. By early July 2026, 603 citizens had been flown home to Lagos across three flights, with further evacuations planned. Many returnees said they had abandoned homes, vehicles and businesses built over several years.

The Federal Government opened talks with Pretoria to seek compensation for the abandoned assets, directing the Nigerian High Commission to document each returnee’s losses for verification with South African authorities. Abuja also urged the African Union to treat xenophobic violence as a continental security priority, reviving long-running tensions between Africa’s two largest economies.