Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Dozens of Nigerian families, including women and children, have been forced to sleep outside the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and other diplomatic missions in South Africa, as delays in the Federal Government's evacuation programme leave hundreds stranded amid rising xenophobic tensions. The scenes of desperation, captured in videos and shared widely on social media in late June and early July 2026, have drawn sharp criticism from the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA) and other stakeholders, who accuse authorities of failing to protect citizens who responded in good faith to official directives to register for voluntary repatriation.
A video shared on Monday, 29 June 2026, showed large numbers of Nigerians gathered at the High Commission as uncertainty continued over the timing and scope of the latest evacuation exercise. Women and children were reportedly given priority to remain within the mission's premises overnight while officials worked to make arrangements for other evacuees. One of the stranded Nigerians said many of those at the High Commission were not there to board evacuation flights immediately but had gone to the mission to seek protection ahead of anticipated anti-immigrant demonstrations. "Because of the rumour we are hearing that there will be a crisis tomorrow… we are here to just take safety. We don't know what is going to happen tomorrow, so we are in the Nigerian embassy for safety," he said.
Another Nigerian at the mission said those gathered there were driven by fear and had turned to the High Commission as their safest option. "When you've been chased and when you're afraid, the next thing you could do is to run to your father's house," he said, describing the crowd outside the mission as "stranded Nigerians that are unsafe within their immediate vicinity because of the planned march".
In a statement issued on Sunday, 21 June 2026, NICASA National President Rev. Frank Onyekwelu expressed alarm over the worsening humanitarian situation facing Nigerians who had registered for voluntary repatriation but were yet to be evacuated due to delays in scheduled flights. According to NICASA, many of the affected citizens travelled from different provinces across South Africa after responding to directives to present themselves for registration and screening ahead of their return to Nigeria. "Today, numerous families, including women and children, are stranded without shelter, food, transportation or financial means to sustain themselves," the statement said.
The association noted that several of the affected citizens had exhausted their resources after travelling long distances in anticipation of their departure, only to face prolonged uncertainty. One Nigerian resident described the situation as tense and frightening, revealing that many Nigerians have gone into hiding while waiting for evacuation. "Things are not easy here, my brother. There is a lot of fear about that deadline... Right now, I am hiding in a friend's house, and he generously gave us shelter," he said. The source added that many Nigerians became homeless after losing jobs that previously came with accommodation. "Many of us became homeless at the same time, particularly those who worked in factories, stores and farms where accommodation was provided. We were thrown out," he said. Another resident told local media that conditions at the Nigerian High Commission have become difficult for those waiting to be evacuated, with some people sleeping outdoors, while others are struggling with illness and limited access to food.
On Monday, 22 June 2026, stranded Nigerians staged a protest at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria over delays in the repatriation of citizens who had registered to return home. Smart Nwobu, president of the Nigerian community in South Africa, appealed to the federal government and relevant authorities to expedite the evacuation of stranded Nigerians. "As you know, only one flight left. The question is, when is the second batch? When is the third batch? When is the fourth batch?" Nwobu asked. "We were promised that the second batch will be here on the 15th of June. The 15th has come and left. People were made destitute and their conditions worsened. Nigerians are now sleeping on the street, and their documents have been cancelled as a result of that registration," he added.
On 30 June 2026, another report indicated that dozens of Nigerians had taken shelter at the Nigerian High Commission amid fears of possible xenophobic attacks linked to planned anti-immigrant demonstrations, with many still stranded despite ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to evacuate citizens.
The Federal Government has conducted several evacuation flights. The first batch of 258 returnees arrived in Lagos aboard an Air Peace aircraft on 11 June 2026. A second flight operated by ValueJet evacuated another 66 citizens on 24 June 2026. A total of 271 persons were evacuated on 30 June via Air Peace. The fourth batch of 266 Nigerians arrived in Lagos on Friday, 3 July 2026.
However, the evacuation of the fourth batch of 270 Nigerians was delayed following a technical issue affecting the Air Peace aircraft scheduled for the operation. The returnees were accommodated in hotels in Johannesburg pending the deployment of a replacement aircraft. Acting High Commissioner of Nigeria to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, confirmed the development, stating that the passengers would remain in their hotels until another Air Peace aircraft is deployed to complete the evacuation. As of 8 July 2026, no fewer than 500 Nigerians were still awaiting evacuation. The Federal Government has announced that the fifth and final batch of nationals is expected to depart on 10 July 2026, bringing the current large-scale evacuation phase to a close. However, the uncertainty and delays have already taken a heavy toll on families who have been left stranded without food, shelter or financial means to sustain themselves.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the evacuation flights are fully funded by the government, dismissing reports that stranded citizens were asked to pay for the exercise as false. The ministry explained that logistical challenges delayed the second evacuation flight, leading to the temporary accommodation of some stranded Nigerians at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria. However, NICASA has expressed dissatisfaction with the level of engagement between the Nigerian mission in South Africa and community leadership structures, saying the Nigerian community had not felt adequately represented, informed or supported throughout the exercise. NICASA has called on the Federal Government to immediately expedite the completion of the repatriation programme and ensure that stranded Nigerians receive the necessary support pending their departure. "Our citizens are not merely statistics. They are fathers, mothers, children, students, workers and entrepreneurs who have found themselves in desperate circumstances. Their cries for help must not go unanswered," the association said.
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