Category: Nationwide
Source: D
A first batch of 100 Nigerians repatriated from South Africa arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday night, under a humanitarian intervention financed by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
The returnees were received by officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, alongside other relevant state authorities, who immediately began profiling them. A NEMA official confirmed that the returnees will be transported to their respective state capitals once the profiling exercise is complete.
The flight marks the beginning of an initiative to transport a minimum of 500 stranded Nigerians from Johannesburg to Lagos, following an appeal from the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa. The funding for the exercise was approved by the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
Speaking to journalists shortly before the plane landed, the Chairman of the RCCG Task Force for the Reception of Nigerian Returnees, Pastor Belemina Obunge, explained that the intervention was prompted by requests from stranded citizens and the consulate in South Africa.
“There was an appeal from South Africa, an appeal from the consulate.
“An appeal was made, and by the grace of God our father in the Lord had acted upon that appeal because it was an appeal by the people there, an appeal by the Nigerians that were also stranded in South Africa,” Obunge said.
Obunge clarified that selection was not restricted to RCCG members, noting that the returnees include Muslims and Christians of various denominations who were documented and cleared by the South African Home Affairs authorities and the Nigerian High Commission. He added that the total figure may slightly exceed 500 to accommodate accompanying infants and children.
The cleric stated that the church’s role is strictly limited to funding the air travel and offering initial reception, food packs, and spiritual support, while government bodies handle processing and domestic transport. He called on state governments to assist with the reintegration of their returning citizens and encouraged other religious institutions to replicate the initiative in other countries where Nigerians face similar hardships.
“We are encouraging other religious organisations to take cue. As you rightly said, other nations have similar challenges. We have set an example with South Africa,” he said.
Obunge noted that the returnees will continue to arrive in batches as clearances are processed in South Africa. He advised any remaining stranded Nigerians to contact the Nigerian High Commission, assuring them that officials are willing to facilitate their return and end their plight.