By Pascal Ibe

Introduction

Nigerian returnees from South Africa recounted that they had harrowing experiences during the xenophobic attacks, saying their businesses and means of livelihood were destroyed by the violence.

Several of them described life in South Africa during the crisis as a daily struggle for survival, saying they lived in constant fear of being attacked.

“Life and death were 50-50 for us,” one of the returnees said, expressing relief at returning to Nigeria.

The arrival of the returnees marks one of Africa’s largest coordinated repatriation exercises in recent years following renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

The latest violence erupted in April with videos circulated online showing groups of South Africans assaulting Black foreign nationals and ordering them to leave the country, reviving concerns over recurring attacks that have strained diplomatic relations across the continent.

The unrest prompted Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to advise their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to South Africa, while several governments initiated evacuation programmes for nationals wishing to return home.

In July,  the sixth batch of 40 stranded Nigerians evacuated from South Africa arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, bringing the total number of returnees under the Federal Government’s evacuation exercise to 1,174.

Claim

An X user, @felixherbt (Felix) has claimed that Governor Alex Otti of Abia State is the first and the only governor to approve N1 million support for the returnees from South Africa.

The post made by the X user on 17 August reads, “Gov. Alex Otti becomes the first governor to approve N1m each for 31 Abia indigenes repatriated from South Africa…… The only Nigerian governor actively supporting his people returning home.”

A few comments on the post indicate that people believed that this claim is true.

Verification

However, searches on Google show that in June, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State approved a cash grant of N1 million each for all Imo indigenes who have been repatriated from South Africa.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), announced the governor’s intervention while receiving the first batch of repatriated citizens at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Confirming this further, the Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, disclosed in a statement that the governor approved the release of ₦300 million to Imo State students at the Nigerian Law School and Nigerian returnees from South Africa who are indigenes of the state.

Emelumba said Uzodimma was moved to embark upon the humanitarian gestures because of the difficult circumstances the beneficiaries found themselves.

FACTWATCH Nigeria also discovered that Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, in July,  pledged ₦41 million in financial assistance to Edo indigenes who returned from South Africa, with each returnee set to receive ₦1 million to aid their resettlement.

Okpebholo said the support package is intended to help the returnees secure accommodation and begin rebuilding their lives after their ordeal abroad. He added that the state government would also make soft loans available to those interested in starting businesses.

Njoku Ukoha, Otti’s chief press secretary, said in a statement on 15 August that the governor approved the disbursement of one million naira each to 31 verified indigenes of the state who were repatriated from South Africa.

Verdict

Reports from news organisations showed that Uzodimma announced the funds for the returnees from South Africa in June, followed by the Edo governor. Governor Otti was the third, NOT the only governor to approve N1 million support for the returnees. 

Therefore this claim is MISLEADING.