Nigeria has warned that it may retaliate against South Africa as xenophobic violence continues to claim Nigerian lives and livelihoods.
The government’s stance reflects the anger and despair of families who have watched their shops looted, homes burned, and children forced out of school by fear.
More than a thousand Nigerians have already asked to be evacuated, and President Bola Tinubu has ordered a presidential aircraft to begin bringing them home.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu‑Ojukwu spoke with emotion in Abuja, saying the attacks are persistent and intolerable.
She reminded South Africa of Nigeria’s sacrifices during the anti‑apartheid struggle, when Nigerians offered financial aid, education, and political support. That solidarity, she said, makes today’s hostility feel like a betrayal.
Asked if retaliation was possible, she replied firmly: “It is not off the table.” For many Nigerians in South Africa, the violence has been devastating.
Business owners who built their lives there have seen everything destroyed. Parents describe the heartbreak of children, too afraid to attend school.
Some families have lost loved ones to the attacks, while others live with the trauma of constant harassment.
The evacuation process is already underway with crisis response units set up at Nigerian missions in South Africa to help citizens through screening and documentation. Each day, more people join the list of those desperate to leave.
Back home, the government is preparing to support returnees with rehabilitation and reintegration programs, working alongside the National Emergency Management Agency to ensure they are not abandoned.
This is not just a diplomatic dispute; it. It is a human crisis. Nigeria now faces the painful task of protecting its people while deciding how far it is willing to go in response to South Africa’s failure to stop xenophobic violence.
