97 Nigerians deported from South Africa have landed in Nigeria this week, in a development unconnected to the recent flare up of violence against foreign nationals in the country.
27 of the deportees are those who have already completed jail terms for alleged crimes including aggravated armed robbery, drug trafficking and fraud.
The consular department of the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, confirmed that the group was truly verified before they were sent back to Nigeria.
An additional 27 were exempted from deportation by a court order during processing.
This follows the evacuation of 41 Nigerian females from Mali, who were said to be victims of human trafficking.
Their return was facilitated by the Nigerian Airforce, the Office of Diaspora and Foreign Affairs and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The evacuation occurred in the face of renewed wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
The Nigerian community in South Africa, led by Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, confirmed the attacks and looting of Nigerian-owned businesses in Pretoria West
“As we speak, five buildings with Nigerian businesses, including a church, have been looted and burned by South Africans,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa, who described the attacks as an unnecessary setback, had appealed to the South African Government to take every step necessary to protect Nigerians.