More than 700 Nigerians remain stranded in South Africa three days before the June 30 deadline issued by anti-immigration groups, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

It was gathered that despite President Bola Tinubu’s approval of funds for their evacuation, bureaucratic delays have prevented the release of the money, leaving hundreds stranded amid escalating xenophobic tensions.

Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that although the President approved funding for four additional rescue flights after the first evacuation brought home 258 Nigerians, the money had yet to reach the designated carrier, Air Peace.

This delay, according to officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and the Nigeria High Commission in South Africa, is stalling the evacuation operation and leaving hundreds of Nigerians exposed to attacks.

The officials confided in one of our correspondents that Air Peace had declined to deploy aircraft to evacuate the remaining stranded Nigerians until payment was confirmed.

The delay has heightened fears among the stranded Nigerians as xenophobic tensions continue to escalate across South Africa.

The President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, told Saturday PUNCH that over 20 Nigerians had died since the renewed wave of anti-foreigner attacks, while many others had been assaulted, displaced or forced to abandon their businesses.

Over 700 Nigerians stranded

According to the officials, over 1,000 Nigerians registered with the Federal Government for evacuation.

However, only 324 have been successfully brought home so far through a combination of government efforts and private intervention, leaving more than 700 Nigerians at risk of attacks and exposed to the elements.

The first batch of returnees (258) arrived in Lagos on June 11 aboard Air Peace, while the second batch (66) arrived on June 24 aboard ValueJet.

Welcoming the second batch of evacuees, the Coordinator and Head of the Lagos Liaison Office of NiDCOM, Dipo Odebowale, who represented the Chairman of the commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended Tinubu for facilitating the operation.

He noted that the logistical challenges encountered after the first evacuation flight were being addressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, who pledged that all Nigerians registered for evacuation would eventually be brought home.

Probing the logistical challenges, Saturday PUNCH gathered that Air Peace, which was expected to evacuate the stranded Nigerians, had yet to receive payment two weeks after Tinubu approved the request.

It was further gathered that the airline had planned to deploy its Boeing 777 aircraft to evacuate the registered Nigerians in four separate flights.

However, the operation was allegedly stalled because the payment issues had yet to be resolved.

A top official in the aviation industry, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorised to comment on the matter, said, “Air Peace was supposed to complete the rescue mission in four flights, but even before the mission started, we started hearing that about five airlines were bidding for the operation. Meanwhile, it had always been Air Peace doing this job before now.

“I have enough information that Air Peace has yet to embark on the second evacuation operation because of the payment issue.”

She further disclosed that the delay in payment to Air Peace was responsible for the intervention of ValueJet, which conveyed the second batch of stranded Nigerians to the country.

“The government gave ValueJet the job because discussions with Air Peace seemed to be dragging over payment, and operators are not ready to do free jobs now, considering the price of aviation fuel,” she stated.

However, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, told Saturday PUNCH that Air Peace was scheduled to carry out the second batch of the evacuation on Monday but failed to deploy its aircraft because of the payment issue.

The official disclosed that some Nigerians who had already been directed to report at the airport in Johannesburg in anticipation of the Air Peace flight were later returned to the Nigeria High Commission.

The source lamented that the administrative bottleneck was frustrating the evacuation plan.

He said, “When we operated the first flight, it was paid for by Mr President. Then we submitted requests for four subsequent flights, which have also been approved by him. That was two weeks ago. But approval is different from when the money reaches Air Peace’s account.

“So, we are waiting for the administrative procedure that will ensure the money is paid into Air Peace’s account before we can authoritatively say when the next batch of the four flights will be.”

On the arrival of the 66 Nigerians, the official said, “The second flight was supposed to leave Johannesburg on Monday. We invited those who were supposed to be on the flight to come to the High Commission. From the High Commission, they were to be moved to the airport to board the flight to Nigeria.

“However, after inviting them, we later got information that the Monday flight would not come because of this administrative issue.

“Some of those who had already arrived and could not return to any reliable accommodation were sheltered at the High Commission. The High Commission was feeding and taking care of them pending when the flight would be ready. Because of the administrative issue last week, the mission decided to raise the alarm to see how well-meaning Nigerians could intervene to assist those already waiting with their luggage at the High Commission.

“The owner of ValueJet responded and paid for 66 tickets on South African Airways to bring them (the stranded Nigerians) to Lagos on Wednesday night.”

Asked how soon the administrative issue would be resolved, the official expressed optimism that the next evacuation flight might depart for South Africa on Monday.

“I am optimistic that between now and Monday, we will be able to state exactly when the next flight will commence.

“The issue is not about approving a request; it is about Air Peace confirming payment, then giving us a date to deploy its aircraft.”

Similarly, a NiDCOM official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented that the logistical challenges, including the non-availability of aircraft, were responsible for the delay.

“The Federal Government is committed to evacuating the affected Nigerians in South Africa. About 1,000 of them registered for evacuation. But logistical issues, including the non-availability of aircraft, are delaying the subsequent evacuation process,” he said.

Meanwhile, efforts to obtain comments from Air Peace and ValueJet were unsuccessful.

Calls and text messages sent to Air Peace’s spokesperson, Efe Osifo-Whiskey, and ValueJet’s Managing Director, Capt. Dapo Majekodunmi, were neither answered nor acknowledged as of the time of filing this report.

The renewed xenophobic attacks

Since late April, xenophobic tensions have resurfaced in South Africa, where foreign nationals, particularly Africans, have increasingly become targets of hostility over allegations that they are taking jobs and straining public services.

Political leaders and parties such as ActionSA, the Patriotic Alliance and uMkhonto we Sizwe have continued to portray foreign nationals as competitors for jobs and government services, fuelling anti-immigration sentiments across parts of the country.

The growing hostility has triggered violent attacks on foreign nationals, including Nigerians, with many reportedly assaulted, displaced or forced to abandon their businesses and other means of livelihood.

Social media has also been awash with videos showing protests and intimidating marches by anti-immigration groups demanding the removal of foreigners.

During several of the demonstrations, Nigerians and other African nationals reportedly came under attack.

Among the groups driving the campaign are March and March and Operation Dudula, two South African anti-immigration movements advocating stricter enforcement against undocumented migration.

They have repeatedly used messages and videos circulated online to call on foreign nationals to leave South Africa on or before June 30.

The renewed threats prompted the Federal Government to activate an emergency evacuation plan by deploying aircraft to bring willing Nigerians back home.

Xenophobic tensions claim over 20 Nigerian lives

Speaking on the death of over 20 Nigerians, Onyekwelu disclosed that they died between late 2025 and June 2026.

He explained that some of the victims were killed extrajudicially, while others died from shock following the vandalisation of their shops or the destruction of their businesses.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, Onyekwelu said, “The claim that Nigerians have not suffered as a result of these xenophobic attacks is not true. Between late last year and now, over 20 Nigerians have been reported dead.

“Some of them died due to extrajudicial actions. Others died from the stress that followed the vandalisation or looting of their businesses in places like KwaZulu-Natal.

“Some Nigerians were forced to lie on the streets and were flogged publicly. You could see the wounds on their bodies. In the Eastern Cape, some had their cars torched. In Johannesburg, some businesses were vandalised.

“This is not propaganda by the community or the media. We have names, pictures and evidence. These incidents happened in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal, East London and Johannesburg. We have leaders in all these areas, who compile the reports and send them to us.”

Anxiety mounts over June 30 deadline

Meanwhile, many Nigerians who have chosen to remain in South Africa have expressed anxiety over the June 30 deadline issued by the anti-immigration groups.

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Union South Africa, Akin Olunloyo, said the situation remained volatile, with many Nigerians and other foreign nationals living in fear amid rising cases of harassment, intimidation and attacks.

According to him, immigrants have been subjected to verbal abuse, threats, physical assaults, forced evictions and the destruction of property, while organised vigilante groups have increasingly targeted foreign communities.

“The situation remains very volatile and deeply troubling because people are scampering, and there is a lot of fear in town as we approach the June 30 deadline. The organised hostility manifests in various forms, including verbal harassment, threats and intimidation.

“While these protests target undocumented migrants, the violence and intimidation affect everyone perceived to be of African descent, whether they are in South Africa legally or not.

“The pervasive nature of the threat means that many Nigerians feel very unsafe and are choosing to leave rather than risk their personal safety,” he said.

Olunloyo explained that anti-immigration groups had maintained constant pressure through regular marches, demonstrations and coordinated campaigns on social media, creating what he described as a “thick climate of fear” affecting the daily lives of foreign nationals, regardless of their legal status.

He disclosed that the Federal Government would soon release the flight schedules for the evacuation of the remaining Nigerians at the deportation camp.

Olunloyo commended the Nigerian Government, the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and the Consulate General in Johannesburg for providing humanitarian support, including temporary shelter, food, bedding and toiletries for stranded Nigerians, particularly women and children, while continuing to issue safety advisories ahead of the planned anti-migrant protests.

Businesses crumble

Also, a Nigerian trader based in Johannesburg, Eniola Bayewunmi, said many Nigerians had been forced to remain indoors for the past month for fear of being attacked by anti-foreigner protesters or arrested by the police.

She lamented losing more than N15m after being unable to operate her business for about a month.

“We have been staying indoors for the past month. They have prevented us from going out to open our shops or conduct our businesses,” she said.

According to her, protesters, with the backing of security operatives, have been carrying out raids on foreigners’ residences, demanding documents and forcing those arrested to pay between 1,500 and 2,500 rands as bail.

She further alleged that South African police officers have been blocking neighbourhoods where foreigners live, preventing them from leaving their homes to open their shops, conduct business or carry out other daily activities.

“The police are backing the protesters and even encouraging them to carry out raids on the residences of foreigners. The protesters, with the support of the police, are going from house to house demanding documents from migrants,” she said.

Evacuation to resume any moment — FG

However, the Federal Government has promised that the evacuation programme will resume at any moment, urging Nigerians who have already been screened to remain on standby for their departure.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and made available to Saturday PUNCH by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the mission said the evacuation was temporarily suspended due to logistical and technical challenges.

The High Commission said the issues had been resolved and assured affected citizens that flight arrangements were being finalised.

“The ongoing voluntary repatriation of Nigerian nationals, which was temporarily suspended due to logistical and technical reasons, will resume any moment from now.

“The mission reassures all persons who have been screened to hold themselves in readiness to depart anytime their flight arrangements are finalised,” the statement read.

The mission explained that travellers would be contacted individually based on the flight schedule and cautioned screened Nigerians against coming to the High Commission unless officially invited.

“Everybody who has been screened should remain on alert, as the mission will directly notify those scheduled to travel to come to the High Commission based on the sequence of flights arranged for their respective dates and times.

“Please take note that unless you are called, do not come with your luggage or personal belongings, as we do not want anybody to be left stranded at the gate of the mission,” it warned.

The mission said it had formally appealed to the South African authorities to ensure adequate protection for Nigerian nationals.

“Moreover, the mission is obliged to inform all that a written appeal has been forwarded to the host authorities, seeking protection for our nationals in the country before, on and after June 30, 2026.

“While we await an immediate and positive response from the authorities, we urge our nationals to continue to be law-abiding, remain united and exercise caution in the face of extreme provocation,” it added.