Xenophobia: 320 Nigerians arrive from South Africa

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South West Zone has said the first batch of Nigerian returnees from South Africa would arrive the country today.

The announcement comes even as South Africa has reopened its High Commission in Abuja and the Consulate in Lagos shut down last week following fears of attacks A message made available to Daily Sun by the Public Relation Officer of the NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said the agency received a confirmation from the Presidency.

It was learnt that 320 persons are expected in the first batch.

“The first batch of Nigerians from South Africa are expected to arrive Nigeria by 2pm tomorrow (today) at NAHCO. We received an information that they will need all the agencies to be on ground to accommodate the returnees.”

He added that the exercise is solely handled by the Nigeria Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
He said the agency is ready to accommodate majority of the returnees as the Presidency had made provisions for them.

Preparatory to the exercise, two aircrafts have landed in South African to ferry the first batch back home. The number of Nigerians eager to return as a result of recent xenophobic attacks, as at yesterday, had risen from 400 to 640 yesterday.

Making the disclosure to journalists at the Senate wing of the National Assembly, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said more home-bound Nigerians resident in South Africa were being documented.

Source: Polisonline.com.ng