The Federal Government has evacuated 593 Nigerians from South Africa following the recent wave of xenophobic protests, with three additional evacuation flights scheduled to bring home about 700 more citizens who have registered for voluntary repatriation….
The Federal Government has evacuated 593 Nigerians from South Africa following the recent wave of xenophobic protests, with three additional evacuation flights scheduled to bring home about 700 more citizens who have registered for voluntary repatriation.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government said the first evacuation flight, operated by Air Peace, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on 11 June with 258 returnees.
The returnees were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, on behalf of the Federal Government before being handed over to relevant government agencies for documentation and profiling.
The ministry explained that logistical challenges delayed the second evacuation flight, prompting the temporary accommodation of some stranded Nigerians at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.
It added that a Nigerian philanthropist volunteered to pay the airfares of 66 affected citizens, who returned to Lagos aboard South African Airways on 24 June.
According to the ministry, the second government-arranged evacuation flight landed on 30 June with 269 returnees, bringing the total number of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa so far to 593.
The ministry announced that three more evacuation flights would be operated in the coming days to return approximately 700 additional Nigerians who have registered, undergone screening and received clearance for evacuation.
It disclosed that the next batch, comprising 271 returnees, is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 5:30 a.m. on Friday, 3 July.
The ministry also dismissed allegations that officials of the Nigerian Mission in South Africa demanded payment before registering citizens for evacuation.
It stressed that all special evacuation flights were fully funded by the Federal Government and provided at no cost to the returnees.
Describing the allegations as “false” and “fake news”, the ministry urged Nigerians to disregard such claims.
The ministry commended the cooperation of relevant ministries, departments and agencies involved in the evacuation exercise, noting that the operation demonstrated the government’s commitment to protecting Nigerian citizens abroad.
It added that safeguarding the welfare of Nigerians overseas remains a key pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to provide support, dignity and care to citizens affected by crises outside the country.
