Nigerian returnee Itoro Richard has opened up about the terrifying ordeal that forced him to flee South Africa, saying he abandoned his business, home and belongings because staying behind could have cost him his life.
Speaking on Arise News Television after returning to Nigeria, Richard said persistent xenophobic threats against Nigerians convinced him that leaving was his only option.
He explained that although he had built a successful life in South Africa, hostility from some locals continued to grow.
“One of the issues that caused the divide between us and South Africans is that they could not understand how we came to their country with nothing and still managed to build wealth.
“They resented that we were so smart and resilient. My experience in South Africa was bad, not because my business was struggling, but because of the hatred from some South Africans simply because I am Nigerian.”
Richard said the hostility also affected his family, alleging that his South African wife was threatened because she married a Nigerian.
“My South African wife was even told she would be arrested for marrying a foreign national,” he said.
He recalled receiving repeated warnings that his life was in danger, including one from a petrol station attendant who allegedly threatened to murder him.
“Someone said to be forewarned is to be forearmed, and I left because of a lot of physical threats.
“There was a guy at the petrol station where I bought fuel. He told me, ‘Come the 30th, you will see a different me.’ He threatened to sever my head and said he would kill me and do terrible things to my family.”
According to Richard, his landlord, whom he described as a Zulu man and former anti-apartheid activist, urged him not to ignore the threats and advised him to leave his home immediately.
“He told me these were just a few rotten eggs, but he advised me to leave my house,” Richard said.
He added that he narrowly escaped tragedy after deciding not to sleep at home one night. By the following morning, he said, two of his Malawian neighbours had allegedly been killed in a brutal attack.
“I went there to see what happened, but it was too gruesome. One was mauled, the other was hit with bricks. The police were there, and I was told I would be next and that my house would also be destroyed,” he said.
Richard said he ultimately returned to Nigeria empty-handed, choosing to sacrifice everything he owned in South Africa in exchange for the chance to stay alive.
'They threatened to behead me, I came home empty-handed': Nigerian man narrates ordeal in South Africa pic.twitter.com/C2RmkNceV4
— Intel Region (@IntelRegion) July 6, 2026
