The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has donated $265,854 to the federal government to support the repatriation of 500 Nigerians from South Africa due to the continuing xenophobic violence.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Olufemi Adeniyi, on Thursday.
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This amounts to N352 million at the present exchange rate of N1,324 to 1 US dollar.
According to the ministry, the donation, made through RCCG led by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, will cover the cost of 500 one-way air tickets for Nigerians affected by xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa.
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It described the donation as proof of RCCG’s compassion, solidarity and commitment to supporting Nigerians in distress.
It also said the church’s contribution further showed how faith-based organisations, public institutions, and other stakeholders can support government efforts to address social challenges and advance the common good.
“This gesture further demonstrates the impact that collaboration between faith-based organisations and public institutions can have in addressing social challenges and advancing the common good.
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“ We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to working with the church’s leadership in South Africa, as the generous donation is deployed to the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians,” the statement read.
Around 1,640 Nigerians have been evacuated from the country since the recent wave of xenophobia began in April. Last week, 67 Nigerians were repatriated as the latest in the ongoing exercise.
At least five Nigerians have been killed since the violence began.
PREMIUM TIMES reported the most recent incident in July. The victim, Chika Simon, died during an encounter with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The Nigerian consulate said he died under questionable circumstances.
This newspaper also reported previous death cases. The slain victims were Amaramiro Emmanuel, Ekpenyong Andrew, Emeka Iroegbu and Musa Joe.
The first two victims, Mr Emmanuel and Mr Andrew, were murdered in April by the personnel of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Port Elizabeth.
Mr Andrew’s corpse was found days after his arrest on 19 April in the Booysens area of Pretoria. He was arrested due to an alleged altercation with members of the Tshwane Metro Police, and his body was discovered at the Pretoria Central Mortuary afterwards.
Mr Emmanuel died a day afterwards due to injuries he sustained from an attack by the SANDF.
Following the incident, the Nigerian government summoned the South African High Commissioner and demanded a thorough investigation into the two Nigerians.
However, Mr Iroegbu and Mr Joe later died. They were both killed on 28 June, but under different circumstances. Mr Joe was killed by “suspected criminals” in Witbank city, Mpumalanga province, while security operatives murdered Mr Iroegbu in Sunnyside, Pretoria.
Mr Iroegbu was tortured to death by officers of the Tshwane Metro Police in the suburbs of Pretoria.
Investigations into these cases are still pending, and no arrests have been made in the past months.
Several African countries have repatriated their citizens so far, including Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.
Last month, President Bola Tinubu snubbed a special South African delegation sent by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and instead directed the visiting team to meet with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye.
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