Editorial: A government must protect its citizens, not present them with bills

Federal Government’s position that Nigerians seeking to return home from South Africa due to xenophobic attacks must bear the cost of their evacuation has sparked outrage and disappointment across the country.

At a moment when fear, uncertainty, and violence confront many Nigerians living in South Africa, the expectation that victims should first pay for their own rescue raises troubling questions about governance, compassion, and national responsibility.

According to reports by Premium Times Nigeria, about 130 Nigerians have already indicated willingness to return home voluntarily following renewed xenophobic tensions in parts of South Africa.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the repatriation would not be state-funded and that those willing to leave must finance their own flights back to Nigeria.

But this position appears disconnected from the harsh realities many Nigerians abroad currently face.

How does a government expect citizens whose businesses may have been looted, whose movements are restricted by fear, and whose lives are under threat to suddenly produce money for flight tickets?

Some of these Nigerians are hiding for safety. Others have lost properties and livelihoods built over many years. Two Nigerians were reportedly killed recently in South Africa.

In such painful circumstances, asking distressed citizens to “bring money before rescue” sounds more like a cruel irony than a serious humanitarian response.

The situation becomes even more disturbing when one considers that many politicians currently seeking offices or preparing for future elections have remained largely silent or indifferent.

Nigerians expect leaders to rise above politics in moments of national distress. Leadership is not only about campaigns, alliances, and speeches; it is about standing firmly with citizens when they are vulnerable.

A nation’s strength is measured not only by economic statistics or diplomatic statements, but by how it treats its people in times of crisis. Nigerians in South Africa contribute significantly to both Nigeria and the South African economy through business, labour, investments, and remittances.

They deserve protection and support from their homeland, not conditions attached to their safety.

The Federal Government must understand that evacuation during emergencies is not charity; it is part of the sacred responsibility of governance.

Around the world, countries mobilise resources to protect citizens trapped in war zones, disasters, or violent unrest. Nigeria should not be an exception.

This does not mean the government should ignore legal or immigration concerns involving some affected Nigerians.

However, humanitarian protection must come first. Those with immigration violations can still be safely evacuated and addressed appropriately at home. Human life should never become secondary to paperwork or financial capability.

The government should immediately work with airlines, diplomatic missions, and emergency agencies to provide temporary evacuation support, shelters, and humanitarian assistance for affected Nigerians.

If private individuals and businessmen such as airline operators have in the past stepped in to rescue stranded Nigerians, then the government itself must not appear less compassionate than private citizens.

Beyond evacuation, Nigeria must also intensify diplomatic engagement with South Africa to ensure protection for African immigrants and accountability for perpetrators of xenophobic violence.

African unity cannot survive where fellow Africans are hunted, attacked, and killed while governments respond slowly.
At this critical moment, Nigerians abroad want reassurance that their country values them.

A government that asks frightened citizens to pay for their own rescue risks sending the dangerous message that protection is available only to those who can afford it.

Nigerians in South Africa do not need lectures or conditions. They need safety, compassion, and a government willing to stand fully on the side of its people.