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A Nigerian woman returning from South Africa has recounted a deeply distressing experience, disclosing that she was compelled to share her husband with a South African woman after he entered into marriage with the local woman to obtain legal residency and citizenship.
She shared her story during an interview with an Arise News reporter, following the repatriation of several Nigerians amid rising concerns about xenophobic violence and the safety of foreign nationals in South Africa.
The returnee explained that her husband’s decision to marry a South African woman stemmed from difficulties navigating immigration procedures and his need to secure legal status in the country.
“I ended up sharing my husband with a South African woman he married just to get citizenship,” she said.
While the arrangement was meant to resolve immigration hurdles, she emphasized that it took a heavy emotional toll on her and disrupted family stability.
Her pain deepened when her husband passed away, as she alleged that his South African wife refused to release his body for repatriation to Nigeria.
This dispute, she said, obstructed plans for a proper burial in his home country and intensified the sorrow her family was already enduring.
Looking back, she described the entire episode as one of the most challenging chapters of her life, admitting she never expected immigration issues to result in such profound personal and familial strain.
Now back in Nigeria, she is among those seeking to restart their lives after enduring years of struggle and instability abroad.
