RCCG donates N352 million for Nigerians fleeing South Africa

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has given $265,854 to the Nigerian government. This money will help bring back 500 Nigerians from South Africa amid ongoing xenophobic attacks.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared this news in a statement by its spokesperson, Olufemi Adeniyi, on Thursday.

At the current exchange rate of N1,324 to 1 US dollar, this donation equals N352 million.

The ministry said the donation from RCCG, led by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, will pay for 500 one-way flight tickets for Nigerians facing xenophobic and Afrophobic violence in South Africa.

The church’s contribution shows its commitment to helping Nigerians in need. It also highlights how faith-based groups and government can work together to solve social issues.

“This gesture shows the positive impact of cooperation between faith-based groups and government in tackling social problems and promoting the common good. We appreciate this partnership and hope to work with the church’s leadership in South Africa as this generous donation helps evacuate 500 distressed Nigerians,” the statement said.

Since the latest wave of xenophobia started in April, about 1,640 Nigerians have been brought back home. Recently, 67 Nigerians were repatriated as part of this ongoing effort.

At least five Nigerians have died since the violence began.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the latest incident in July. The victim, Chika Simon, died during an encounter with the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The Nigerian consulate stated he died under suspicious circumstances.

This newspaper also reported on earlier deaths. The victims included Amaramiro Emmanuel, Ekpenyong Andrew, Emeka Iroegbu, and Musa Joe.

The first two victims, Mr Emmanuel and Mr Andrew, were killed in April by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Port Elizabeth.

Mr Andrew's body was found days after his arrest on 19 April in the Booysens area of Pretoria. He was arrested after a reported fight with the Tshwane Metro Police, and his body ended up at the Pretoria Central Mortuary.

Mr Emmanuel died a day later from injuries he got during an attack by the SANDF.

After this, the Nigerian government called in the South African High Commissioner. They demanded a proper investigation into the deaths of the two Nigerians.

Later, Mr Iroegbu and Mr Joe also lost their lives. They were both killed on 28 June, but in different ways. Mr Joe was killed by “suspected criminals” in Witbank city, Mpumalanga province. On the other hand, Mr Iroegbu was killed by police in Sunnyside, Pretoria.

Mr Iroegbu was tortured to death by Tshwane Metro Police officers in Pretoria suburbs.

Investigations into these incidents are still ongoing, and no arrests have happened in recent months.

Several other African countries have also brought their citizens home, including Ghana, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.

Last month, President Bola Tinubu ignored a special South African delegation sent by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Instead, he sent them to meet with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye.