The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has commenced the repatriation of at least 500 Nigerians from South Africa, with the first batch of 100 returnees arriving at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday night.

The repatriation is being funded by the church following an appeal from the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa. Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons received the returnees at the airport and commenced their profiling.

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A NEMA official said the returnees would be transported to their respective state capitals after the profiling and other necessary processes had been completed. More batches are expected to arrive as the repatriation exercise continues.

Chairman of the RCCG Task Force for the Reception of Nigerian Returnees from South Africa, Pastor Belemina Obunge, said RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, approved the funding of the air transportation from Johannesburg to Lagos on humanitarian grounds.

According to Obunge, the returnees were profiled and documented by the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa in collaboration with the South African Home Affairs authorities. He stressed that the beneficiaries were not selected based on religion or membership of RCCG.

“They are Muslims, Christians, all religions. And we are intentional in making sure that we have collaborated with the various government agencies,” Obunge said.

He explained that RCCG’s intervention covered the cost of transporting the Nigerians by air from Johannesburg to Lagos, while government agencies would take responsibility for their reception, profiling and onward movement.

Obunge added that the number of returnees could be slightly above 500 because children and infants are also included in the repatriation exercise.