•Photo: Xenophobia : South African protesters in Pretoria on Friday. Twitter photo.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nigerians interested in repatriation from South Africa will be responsible for the cost of their return trip to Nigeria.

In the recent past, such reparations have been sponsored by Nigerian airline owners, particularly Allen Onyema, the CEO of Air Peace.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, stated this during a press briefing on Monday in Abuja.

The briefing came shortly after a closed-door meeting between the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dunoma Ahmed, and the South African Acting High Commissioner, Lesoli Machele.

Mr Ebienfa said that the process will be self-funded and not state-funded, as it is a voluntary decision that the Nigerian government will only facilitate and coordinate.

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has issued a public memo to Bola Tinubu, urging him to halt his ongoing foreign trips and address the escalating attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

In the statement dated 4 May 2026, Ezekwesili described the President’s trip to France, Kenya, and Rwanda as a “total absence of leadership” at a time when Nigerians abroad are reportedly facing violence, killings, and displacement.

She condemned what she called the Federal Government’s routine diplomatic response to the crisis, arguing that repeated statements, advisories, and limited evacuations fall far short of what is required.

“The recurring killing, harassment, looting and intimidation of Nigerians in South Africa is no longer a matter for routine diplomacy,” she said, warning that the situation reflects a deeper failure by the Nigerian state to protect its citizens.

Source: Leadership

….As FG Advances New Police Academy Campus

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is advancing efforts to reposition the Nigerian Police through strategic investment in education. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, reaffirmed the President’s commitment during a high-level meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Police Force in Abuja.

According to a statement, minister revealed that the meeting focused on strengthening police training institutions nationwide, and noted that plans have been finalized to commence academic activities at the Southern Campus of the Nigeria Police Academy in Erije, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The meeting, attended by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, former IGP Kayode Egbetokun, and other senior officers, centered on infrastructure development and operational take-off of the new campus.

The Minister emphasized that the initiative aligns with the President’s broader agenda to enhance national security by equipping police personnel with modern, education-driven skills.

He added that the Nigeria Police’s contributions to national stability must be supported through improved training and institutional capacity, pointing out that as part of immediate steps, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has been directed to fast-track resource verification to enable the new campus to begin admitting students between September and November 2026.

Discussions also covered plans to upgrade over 42 police colleges into monotechnics, with select institutions to offer specialized, industry-relevant courses, saying that three key committees have been establishedto drive implementation.

These include a resource verification committee led by the NUC, a capacity-building committee for police colleges chaired by DIG Isyaku Mohammed in collaboration with NBTE, and an infrastructure development committee headed by the Executive Secretary of TETFund.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed, commended the initiative and pledged full support, while IGP Tunji Disu highlighted education as critical to addressing security challenges.

Disu also reaffirmed the Police Force’s commitment to introducing impactful courses that will strengthen personnel capacity and enhance national security.