The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has donated $265,854 to support the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa following xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans in the country.

The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this on Saturday while announcing the arrival of another batch of 105 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa.

The returnees, comprising 82 adults and 23 children, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on South African Airways flight SA060 at about 8:30pm on Thursday, September 24, 2026.

They were received by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant government agencies.

According to the ministry’s spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, the RCCG donation was used to purchase one-way tickets for 100 of the 105 Nigerians in the latest batch.

“The return of 100 persons in this batch was funded from the $265,854 donation made by the Redeemed Christian Church of God towards the purchase of one-way tickets for the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa,” Adeniyi said.

He added that the return of the remaining five Nigerians was funded through a donation from a private Nigerian citizen.

The ministry said the latest evacuation brought to 1,821 the number of Nigerians returned from South Africa since the exercise began on June 10, 2026.

It described the latest arrival as the 13th consular evacuation carried out under the exercise, noting that the Federal Government had fully funded the evacuation of 1,388 of the 1,821 returnees.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa is continuing engagements with the RCCG leadership and other philanthropic groups and individuals to facilitate the return of additional distressed Nigerians.

The ministry said some Nigerians were currently undergoing preliminary clearance with the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg and relevant South African authorities, adding that they would be evacuated once the process was completed.

The Federal Government expressed appreciation to the RCCG, under the leadership of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, for its contribution towards assisting Nigerians who want to return home because of distress and concerns over their safety.

It also acknowledged other groups and individuals supporting the evacuation effort, saying their interventions demonstrated the impact of collaboration between public institutions and private organisations in addressing social challenges.

The government said it remained concerned about what it described as persistent xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.

It added that diplomatic engagements and other measures would continue to secure the cooperation of South African authorities in addressing the attacks and protecting the safety, security and dignity of Nigerians living in the country.

The ministry urged Nigerians resident in South Africa to remain vigilant and law-abiding and to maintain contact with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg whenever they require consular assistance.