…Doles out ₦77m to 77 returnee families

…Says “Don’t be afraid to start again”

…Returnees: “We feel at home”

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Thursday, welcomed home 77 Enugu State families made up of 112 indigenes forced home by the unabating xenophobic attacks in South Africa, assuring them that the state would stand in solidarity with them every step of the way.

Mbah also used the occasion, which took place at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, to dole out a support of ₦1m to each of the 77 families, noting that the administration was still profiling about 42 additional returnee families in conjunction with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM.

The Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to Enugu State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, condemned the attacks, but urged them not to be afraid to start again.

“The renewed attacks and hostility directed at black African migrants in parts of South Africa is condemnable and have forced many Nigerians to reconsider their safety and return home.

“Some may have left behind businesses, possessions, investments, friendships and years of work. And so, while there is happiness in seeing you alive and safely back on Enugu soil, we also understand that coming home under circumstances you did not choose can carry its own pain.

“The question before us is not simply, ‘How do we receive our people back?’ The bigger question is: ‘How do we help them begin again?’ That is why today’s reception must go beyond photographs and handshakes. It must mark the beginning of reintegration. It must mark the beginning of rebuilding.

“Importantly, government must do more than make speeches. It must put something tangible in your hands. That is why we have approved a ₦1 million seed fund for each returning family represented here today. Let me stress the word seed. A seed is not the harvest. It is the beginning of the harvest.

“This support is, therefore, not being presented as compensation for everything you may have lost. It is not intended to replace the businesses, properties or investments that some of you may have left behind. Rather, it is a modest but deliberate expression of solidarity from your state.

“The important thing is that we want this intervention to move you from returning home to rebuilding at home. And the Government of Enugu State will continue to explore ways of connecting you with relevant opportunities, programmes and institutions that can support that journey,” Mbah stated.

He encouraged them not to lose hope, but to deploy the experiences and skills acquired in South Africa to bear in exploring the new opportunities in their home state.

“I want to make one more appeal to you: Do not discard what you learnt abroad. Bring it home. Bring the discipline. Bring the ideas. Bring the networks. Bring the entrepreneurial experiences. Bring the knowledge of markets and technologies. Bring the things that worked. And even bring the lessons from the things that did not work.

“This experience must mark the beginning of a new conversation about the opportunities that exist here in Enugu, because the Enugu of today is changing. Our administration is deliberately working to create an environment where people can live, work, invest, build businesses and raise families with greater confidence.

“We are expanding infrastructure. We are improving connectivity. We are strengthening healthcare. We are investing in education and human capital. We are opening new possibilities in agriculture, tourism, technology, enterprise and industry,” he concluded.

In her response, one of the returnees, Chidimma Ogbonna, thanked Governor Peter Mbah for his concern and for the support, saying “we feel at home.”

“Your kindness gave hope and this opportunity. Thank you for welcoming us home and for believing in us,” she stated.

Another returnee, Cosmas Okwor, thanked Mbah for making them feel accepted, stressing, “We are hopeful again.”

They expressed joy over the improved infrastructure and security in the state, saying they would aid their resettlement.

Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, encouraged them to pick up the pieces of their lives and forge ahead.

“Put yourself in a position to win. New opportunities beckon,” he stressed.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora, Barr. Olangwa Ezekwu, commended the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa-led NIDCOM for helping Nigerian states to have their people safely home. She thanked Governor Mbah for being a father to all.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, following the alleged deaths of suspected illegal miners in the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, the state capital.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, issued on Thursday in Abuja.

According to the statement, the incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday, following the arrest of the suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations conducted in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.

Announcing the suspension, Tunji-Ojo described the incident as unfortunate, declaring, “It is an unfortunate incident; however, a full-scale investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended.”

He added that “we run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives, and we have worked to stay true to this.”

The minister urged members of the public to maintain calm and remain law-abiding to allow for a transparent investigation process, while also commiserating with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State and the families and relatives of the deceased.

In a separate statement on Friday morning, National Public Relations Officer of the Corps, ACC Babawale Afolabi, disclosed that the minister had directed the Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to carry out a full-scale, transparent and unhindered investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the illegal miners in the custody of the Corps’ Niger State Command.

The statement said that in swift compliance with the minister’s directive, the Commandant General had ordered the Niger State Commandant to step aside with immediate effect and report forthwith to the National Headquarters, Abuja, alongside his Heads of Operations, Mining, Legal, Intelligence and Investigation, to face a constituted panel of inquiry. A new commandant has since been directed to proceed to Niger State to assume immediate command of the State Command.

The Corps assured the minister that no stone would be left unturned in the investigation, warning that any officer or personnel found to have acted contrary to the law, established procedures or professional standards would face appropriate administrative, disciplinary and, where applicable, criminal sanctions in accordance with extant laws and regulations.

The NSCDC reiterated its commitment to upholding the dignity, safety and fundamental rights of every person in its custody, stressing that the enforcement of its statutory mandate, including the fight against illegal mining and the protection of Nigeria’s critical national assets, would continue to be carried out in accordance with the law and established professional standards.

Fraud-related offences and money laundering feature prominently among the offences listed against 134 Nigerians on a United States immigration enforcement register, an analysis of the records shows.

The Nigerians are among foreign nationals identified by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and listed by the Department of Homeland Security in its “Worst of the Worst” register.

The latest 10 names were added in August, taking the number of Nigerians on the register to 134, following an earlier list of 124 Nigerians published in July. The register identifies individuals arrested by ICE and lists the offences associated with their cases.

An analysis of the offences listed against the 134 Nigerians shows that fraud, including wire and mail fraud, appears in 59 records, making it the most frequently occurring broad category.

Money laundering follows, appearing in 17 records, while sex offences and theft or larceny each appear in 16 records.

Identity theft is also listed against 16 Nigerians, while offences involving assault or other forms of violence appear in 24 records.

Drug-related offences feature in 10 records, while conspiracy is listed in seven cases. Immigration-related offences, including illegal re-entry, alien smuggling and flight to avoid prosecution, appear in six records.

Other offences, including weapons offences, forgery, computer crimes, counterfeiting, driving under the influence and public-order offences, appear in 18 records.

The figures are based on the offences listed in the US records and not a count of convictions.

They also should not be interpreted as 134 separate criminal cases involving only one offence each, as several individuals have multiple offences listed against them.

For example, Temitope Bashua is listed for wire fraud, identity theft and fraud, while Chukwuemeka Okorocha is listed for wire fraud, dangerous drugs, possession of a weapon and aggravated assault.

Similarly, Chukwuemeka Chinye is listed for fraud involving a banking-type institution, larceny, identity theft and conspiracy.

The records also contain a range of violent and sexual offences. They include rape, sexual assault, sexual offences involving children, kidnapping, aggravated assault, robbery and manslaughter.

Drug-related entries include cocaine and heroin offences, drug trafficking, possession of dangerous drugs and marijuana-related offences.

The DHS has described the register as identifying criminal immigrants arrested by ICE. In its wider public communications, the department has also published lists of individuals it says were convicted of specific crimes, although the status varies across individual records.

The August update did not specify when the 10 newly listed Nigerians would be deported. The July publication similarly did not provide a specific deportation date for the 124 Nigerians listed at the time.

Offences listed

Fraud/fraud by wire/mail fraud — 59 records

Assault/violent offences — 24 records

Other offences — 18 records

Money laundering — 17 records

Identity theft — 16 records

Sex offences — 16 records

Theft/larceny — 16 records

Drug offences — 10 records

Conspiracy — 7 records

Immigration-related offences — 6 records

The categories overlap because some of the 134 records contain multiple offences. Therefore, the category figures add up to more than 134. The classification is based on the offence descriptions supplied in the US records.