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The Nigerian Consulate in South Africa and the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa have launched a free repatriation flight program for Nigerians who want to leave the country permanently, as anti-foreigner violence sweeps through major South African cities and forces hundreds of Nigerian business owners to shutter their shops and stay indoors.
NICASA President Frank Onyekwelu confirmed that many Nigerians have already indicated interest in taking up the offer. “The Nigerian Consulate in conjunction with NICASA has offered a free repatriation flight to any Nigerian who wishes to leave South Africa permanently, and the process is ongoing as we have recorded many Nigerians signaling interest to return home,” he said. There is currently no structured support system in place beyond the repatriation offer, he acknowledged.
Two Nigerians have been killed in separate incidents linked to the unrest. The Nigerian Consulate General in Johannesburg identified the victims as Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew. Consul-General Ninikanwa Okey-Uche said Emmanuel died from injuries allegedly sustained after being beaten by personnel of the South African National Defence Force on April 20.
Andrew was apprehended on April 19 in the Booysens area of Pretoria following an alleged altercation with Tshwane Metro Police officers, and his body was later discovered at the Pretoria Central Mortuary. Community leaders, however, dispute that these deaths are directly connected to the ongoing demonstrations.
The violence has erupted across Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, East London and parts of KwaZulu-Natal, driven by organizations including Operation Dudula, the March and March Movement and similar anti-immigration groups accusing migrants from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Somalia of causing unemployment and crime. Protesters have been filmed marching through streets armed with sticks and chanting anti-foreigner slogans, confronting traders and ordering them to leave the country.
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In one widely circulated video, a Nigerian trader was surrounded by protesters and told to pack up and leave with his family. “I have been here for a long time. The only thing is what I’m doing to feed my children,” he told them. The group was unmoved. “From now on, we don’t want foreigners in this town. We are fixing our South Africa now,” one voice declared.
Nigerian business owners describe what is happening not as protest but as organized looting using political grievance as cover. Yemisi Adewale, a restaurant operator in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, said she narrowly escaped an attack at a local market. “They are specifically targeting shops, supermarkets, malls, and other businesses owned by Nigerians and Ghanaians. Their aim is simply to loot and destroy our goods,” she said. “The police are present, but their presence has not stopped the attackers. The protesters continue to loot and vandalize our shops right in front of them.”
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Adewale said she was forced to abandon goods and flee for safety when protesters arrived at the market where she was purchasing supplies. “This is not a genuine protest. They are using the rally as a cover to steal and destroy our businesses,” she said, adding that the continued violence could drive many traders permanently out of business.
Another Nigerian trader, speaking anonymously, described the escalation in similar terms. “I saw hundreds of them at the market. They were carrying sticks and clubs. They pounce on anyone they identify as a foreigner and beat them,” she said. “Hundreds of shops owned by foreigners have been looted. Now no one can open for business.”
Diaspora leaders say informal settlement residents and small-scale traders are absorbing the worst of the violence. Ohanaeze Ndigbo South Africa President ABC Okokoh said the disturbances are concentrated in informal settlements where petty traders operate, and that many affected are black foreign nationals. “The host communities are being used to score political points,” he said, adding that the government is being cautious about its response to avoid inflaming tensions further.
South African police condemned the attacks. “These actions are not only unlawful, but they stand in direct opposition to the values of dignity, equality, and human rights upon which our democracy is founded,” the police service said.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission said the matter has been escalated to the ministerial level, with Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu engaged in direct discussions with South African authorities. An Ethiopian national was also shot dead in what appeared to be a targeted killing at a busy Johannesburg intersection, with CCTV footage showing the victim shot at close range without provocation. No arrests have been made.
