South African diplomats in Nigeria raised money among themselves to fly a young boy home to Johannesburg after his mother was jailed for 25 years for drug trafficking.

Staff at the South African High Commission in Abuja contributed their own money to buy plane tickets for the three-year-old and a diplomat to accompany him back to his grandfather.

Bobby J Moroe, the high commissioner of South Africa in Nigeria, said it was “quite exceptional” for all the diplomatic staff to come together and raise funds for the child’s safe return. The boy arrived at OR Tambo International Airport early on Saturday morning.

Mother caught with heroin at airport

The boy’s mother (38) from Brakpan was arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on 6 July. Nigerian drug enforcement officials found 5.75kg of heroin hidden in her luggage.

She had arrived on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha with her son. Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said she used the child as cover to avoid suspicion during security checks.

The woman pleaded guilty in the Federal High Court in Abuja to importing the heroin and conspiring to import it. On 17 September, she received a 15-year sentence on one count and 25 years on the other. The sentences run concurrently, meaning she will serve 25 years in prison.

Family could not afford flight costs

After the sentencing, the South African High Commission in Abuja got custody of the three-year-old. A court order placed the child in the care of the South African government from 25 September and told officials to arrange his return to South Africa as soon as possible.

The mother had nominated her father to care for the boy during her time in prison, but the family could not afford for the grandfather to travel to Abuja to collect the child.

The High Commission considered crowdfunding through a South African community group in Nigeria, but Moroe said the roughly two million Naira needed for the boy and an accompanying adult had to be raised too quickly.

Diplomatic staff decided to cover the cost from their personal funds. Moroe said South African missions can provide consular help to nationals in distress, but this generally does not include paying travel costs.

Boy formed strong bond with diplomat

Jerry Sibanyoni, the first secretary for administration in the consulate in Abuja, travelled with the child from Abuja to Lagos and on to Johannesburg. He handed the boy over to his grandfather at OR Tambo International Airport on the morning of 26 September.

“We had established such a strong bond, even if it was just one day. We were together on the flight from Abuja to Lagos, and then from Lagos to South Africa,” Sibanyoni said.

“The boy didn’t want to let go when we arrived. He was crying. The boy was really upset that we were being separated. But I told him it was okay and he was going to his grandfather.”

Sibanyoni described it as a “remarkable story” for the diplomatic staff to come together and raise funds for the flight.

“We are tasked with helping South Africans abroad when they are in distress. But there is no budget for financial help or to assist with services of this nature. This is where Ubuntu comes in,” he said.

“Because of the unique nature of this case, and how urgently it had to happen, there was a common understanding of the seriousness and the sensitivities around this case. It really taps into the core values of us all and it appealed to the humanity in each of us. Protocol falls aside and we do what is best for the child and in the interest of the child.”

• This story was produced by Our City News, a non-profit newsroom that serves the people of Johannesburg.

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