The Federal Government has expressed dissatisfaction with South Africa's response to a recent surge in xenophobic violence targeting Nigerians, with Foreign Affairs Minister Amb Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu stating that retaliatory measures, including a potential review of bilateral privileges, are under active consideration. Speaking after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, Odumegwu-Ojukwu condemned the South African government's failure to strongly denounce the attacks, describing the situation as deeply troubling for Nigerians who are legally residing and operating businesses in the country. She confirmed that Nigerian passport holders have been subjected to harassment, property looting, arson attacks on their shops, and intimidation of their children in schools, with South African police failing to intervene. "Our citizens are being harassed. Our citizens' properties are being looted. Criminal actions are being perpetrated, and the police refuse to do anything," she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu rejected claims by some South African officials that affected Nigerians were illegal migrants, emphasizing that those impacted were engaged in legitimate business. She referenced Nigeria's historical support for South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle, noting that Nigeria provided financial and educational support, and that Nigerians of her generation protested and were even arrested in solidarity. "Nigeria sacrificed much for the South African struggle for independence," she said. The minister confirmed that President Tinubu had approved five evacuation flights by Air Peace, with a crisis response unit activated at Nigeria's consular offices in Johannesburg and Pretoria. As of June 8, 1,092 Nigerians had registered for repatriation, over 500 had been screened, and the first flight was rescheduled from Monday to Wednesday due to logistical coordination issues, not diplomatic delays. The evacuation is being conducted with NEMA and other federal agencies, with plans for post-return rehabilitation. South Africa's foreign minister raised concerns about the evacuation during a May 7 call with Odumegwu-Ojukwu. The House of Representatives has recommended suspending business permits for South African companies in Nigeria, while the Senate resolved to send a delegation led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio to South Africa.
Amb Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlights Nigeria's past sacrifices for South Africa while the current government weighs withdrawing privileges from South African businesses, creating a tension between moral appeal and diplomatic action. Nigerian citizens who legally operate businesses in South Africa are being targeted, looted and intimidated, yet the evacuation process is delayed by logistics, not diplomacy. The same Air Peace that once offered free flights in 2019 is now executing a state-backed evacuation amid official South African objections. This moment forces a reckoning: Nigeria's moral standing from the past cannot shield its citizens from present dangers abroad.
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