ILASA airlifts 32 stranded Nigerians from South Africa; calls for more government action.

About 32 Nigerians stranded in South Africa have been airlifted back to Nigeria aboard an Angolan Airlines flight, following prolonged difficulties with logistics and documentation amid continuing concerns over the safety and welfare of Nigerians affected by xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in parts of the country. The Nigerians departed South Africa on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, following intervention by the Igbo Lawyers Association of South Africa (ILASA), an organisation of Nigerian lawyers practicing in South Africa. The evacuation represents the latest effort by the association and other concerned Nigerians to assist citizens who were unable to return home through the earlier government-sponsored evacuation program.

The development follows the Federal Government’s voluntary evacuation exercise for Nigerians affected by xenophobic attacks and related security concerns in South Africa. According to the Federal Ministry of Information, 1,490 Nigerians were evacuated in seven batches between June 10 and July 15, 2026, while the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) put the figure at 1,516 returnees between June 11 and July 15. Both agencies said the returnees arrived in Lagos aboard flights operated by Air Peace and South African Airways. The difference in the figures appears to reflect variations in the official records maintained by the two agencies.

The outgoing President of ILASA, Chief Johnson Anyiam, a South Africa-based attorney, said a significant number of Nigerians was still awaiting assistance after the earlier evacuation flights. He disclosed that ILASA and other concerned Nigerians had continued efforts to help those facing difficulties with travel documentation, finances and access to evacuation arrangements. Anyiam made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with Umuaka Times while appealing to the Federal Government to consider deploying additional aircraft to South Africa to facilitate the return of Nigerians who remain in difficult circumstances.

A viral video obtained by Umuaka Times from South Africa last week captured some Nigerians narrating their experiences and appealing for assistance. One of those interviewed, a poultry farmer from Enugu State, said he had been stranded in South Africa since June after failing to secure a place on an earlier evacuation flight.

Another Nigerian woman featured in the video said she lost her savings during an attack after people allegedly invaded her home and stole the money she had saved to purchase a ticket back to Nigeria. She lamented that the incident left her without the means to finance her journey home. Other Nigerians complained about difficulties obtaining or renewing immigration documents, with some saying their applications had been rejected by South African authorities.

An ILASA member who also appeared in the video appealed to Nigerians, organizations and well-meaning individuals to support efforts to assist those still awaiting evacuation.

The latest intervention by ILASA has also attracted appreciation for individuals and organizations that have supported the wider evacuation efforts. The leadership of ILASA sincerely thanked Dr. Allen Onyema of Air Peace for his intervention in helping Nigerians return home, as well as ValuJet Nigeria for its support. It also recognized Dr. Ike Francis Igbo of Target Laboratories, South Africa, for collaborating with the association in the ongoing evacuation efforts.

The association said it remains committed to working with the Federal Government, corporate organizations, humanitarian agencies and private individuals to facilitate the safe return of more Nigerians where resources and necessary travel clearances are available. The Nigerian government has previously condemned xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa and urged Nigerians living in the country to remain security-conscious and maintain contact with Nigerian diplomatic missions.

Nigeria’s efforts to evacuate citizens from South Africa are not new. In 2019, the Federal Government also organized an evacuation exercise following widespread xenophobic attacks against foreigners in parts of the country.