This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On September 11, 2019, a plane carrying 189 Nigerians, including Victor Indiobe, landed in Lagos, Nigeria, after the Nigerian government repatriated them from South Africa due to xenophobic attacks.
Victor, a 29-year-old technician, had lived in Hillbrow, one of Johannesburg's most dangerous areas, where he repaired plasma TV screens. However, on September 2, three of his friends were shot dead, and Victor believes the official death toll from last week's clashes is too low.
"I'll never go back in my life," Victor said. "There's been three times where there was this kind of thing, these xenophobic attacks. But this recent one now is just too much."
Victor's experience is not unique. Kayode, a 37-year-old shoe repair shop owner, moved to Pretoria seven years ago for "adventure" but was forced to flee after local taxi drivers warned of xenophobia attacks.
"I travelled just because I wanted to live life, see the world," Kayode said. "I was happy." However, after the attacks, he rushed to the Nigerian embassy and headed for Johannesburg airport, waiting for almost a week before flying out.
Back in Lagos, Nigeria's government has promised to help those returning from South Africa. Speaking to reporters on the tarmac, Nigerian foreign affairs representative Abike Dabiri-Erewa said the government would pay for citizens' travel expenses to reach their families and enrol them in programmes to find work or start a business.
However, many Nigerians are not hopeful, given the country's high poverty rate and widespread unrest. For Nicholas Olalekan, who ran a hair salon in Pretoria, his future is "in God's hands".
A man waves as he disembarks from a plane as a first group of Nigerians repatriated from South Africa following xenophobic violence arrives in Lagos on September 11, 2019. PHOTO | PIUS UTOMI EKPEI | AFP
