By Friday Temitope Eugenia
National News – The Federal Government has indicated that it may consider retaliatory measures against South Africa over the ongoing harassment and attacks on Nigerians living in the country.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, disclosed this on Monday while addressing State House correspondents in Abuja, expressing dissatisfaction with the way South African authorities and security agencies have handled the situation.
She dismissed claims by some South African officials that many of the affected Nigerians were undocumented migrants, insisting that a significant number were law-abiding residents engaged in legitimate businesses.
According to the minister, Nigeria played a vital role in supporting South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle and expected better treatment for its citizens.
“Nigeria sacrificed a great deal for South Africa’s liberation, committing resources and support at critical moments. Nigerians are therefore unhappy with the way they are being treated,” she said.
Ojukwu also suggested that the Federal Government was not ruling out reciprocal actions against South African interests in Nigeria.
“That is a situation we are considering. It is a decision that would have to be taken at the highest level of government and with the involvement of the legislature, but it is not off the table,” she stated.
The minister further confirmed that the Federal Government had activated a crisis response mechanism to evacuate Nigerians willing to return home following the recent wave of xenophobic attacks and looting targeting foreign nationals.
She explained that although documentation processes had been completed, the planned evacuation had been delayed due to logistical challenges.
“The repatriation is on course. President Bola Tinubu has directed that the evacuation should proceed, and Nigerians affected by the crisis will be brought back home,” she said.
Ojukwu noted that the number of Nigerians seeking evacuation continued to rise as authorities in both countries completed the necessary screening procedures.
She added that the government had established crisis response units at the Nigerian Consulate and Mission in South Africa to assist citizens across different provinces.
The minister said the evacuation exercise would be coordinated with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant agencies to ensure the rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the evacuation of 270 Nigerians earlier scheduled for Monday had been postponed because of unforeseen logistical issues.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said the delay was necessary to finalise arrangements for the airlift and disclosed that more than 1,000 Nigerians had already been screened and cleared for repatriation.
He also clarified that, unlike previous evacuations, the Federal Government would fully fund the exercise rather than rely on private donations.
The development comes amid heightened tensions in South Africa over anti-migrant protests. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently condemned attacks on foreign nationals while pledging to tackle illegal migration through lawful means.
He urged citizens to address the challenges facing the country peacefully and avoid acts of violence and reprisals.
