The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) says none of the Nigerian evacuees returned from South Africa are criminals, rejecting claims that some were involved in wrongdoing. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, NIDCOM chairperson/CEO Abike Dabiri-Erewa said the “only crime” the returnees committed was being black migrants, and that they were attacked because of their skin colour. She argued that xenophobic scapegoating should not be applied to an entire nationality, and that if any individual commits a crime, accountability should be limited to that person.
NIDCOM made the statement as the first batch of roughly 258–268 Nigerians arrived in Lagos on an Air Peace flight arranged with support from the Federal Government amid a fresh wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa. The returnees are received by multiple agencies, including NEMA, NIS, and NIDCOM, alongside other groups involved in the process. Dabiri-Erewa also described the evacuation and reception as a coordinated multi-agency effort, including support from private organisations and some state governments. She called for more states to assist with the reintegration of returnees, as directed by President Bola Tinubu. The commission noted that more Nigerians are reportedly registered for potential repatriation.
