The Redeemed Christian Church of God has facilitated the return of 107 Nigerians from South Africa as part of a humanitarian initiative to repatriate at least 500 Nigerians stranded in the country.
The first batch of returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday night from Johannesburg.
Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, alongside other government agencies, received the returnees and commenced their profiling.
The Head of Operations at NEMA, Mohammed Olatunde, said the returnees would be transported to their respective state capitals after the profiling process.
Speaking ahead of their arrival, the Chairman of the RCCG Task Force for the Reception of Nigerian Returnees from South Africa, Pastor Belemina Obunge, said the church approved the funding for the repatriation following an appeal from the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa.
Obunge said the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, approved the funding on humanitarian grounds.
He explained that the returnees had been profiled and documented by the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa in collaboration with the South African Home Affairs authorities.
According to him, the initiative is expected to bring home a minimum of 500 Nigerians, although the final figure could be slightly higher because children and infants are among those being repatriated.
Obunge stressed that the beneficiaries were not selected based on their religious affiliation.
He said the returnees included Nigerians of different faiths and that the exercise was being conducted in collaboration with relevant government agencies.
The RCCG official said the church’s responsibility was limited mainly to funding the air transportation of the returnees from Johannesburg to Lagos, while government agencies would oversee their reception, profiling and onward transportation.
He also appealed to state governments to support the reintegration of the returnees into their communities.
Obunge said the repatriation followed an appeal from the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa concerning Nigerians who were stranded and required assistance to return home.
He urged other religious organisations to support Nigerians facing similar difficulties in other countries.
The RCCG task force chairman further advised Nigerians still stranded in South Africa to contact the Nigerian High Commission for documentation and assistance with the repatriation process.
He explained that the returnees would arrive in batches because each person must undergo clearance and documentation by the Nigerian High Commission and South African Home Affairs authorities before travelling.
Obunge commended the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NEMA, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, airport authorities and other stakeholders involved in the exercise.
He said the church would continue to support and encourage the returnees as they begin the process of rebuilding their lives in Nigeria.
Following their arrival, the RCCG team distributed food packs to the returnees.
Pastors Amos Emovon, Patrick Uponi, Kate Ojo and Lanre Aiyedun were also present to welcome the Nigerians at the airport.
