The Federal Government has rescheduled the evacuation of the first batch of Nigerian citizens seeking to leave South Africa following a recent wave of xenophobic attacks targeting Black foreign nationals.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officially disclosed the adjustment in a statement released on Monday, citing unforeseen logistical challenges as the primary reason for the delay.
Originally slated to commence on Monday, the initial airlifting operation has now been moved to Wednesday.
President Bola Tinubu has already approved a total of five evacuation flights to facilitate the safe return of citizens.
The operations will be conducted by Nigeria’s private airliner, Air Peace, which has volunteered to manage the repatriation process.
According to Ebienfa, the rescheduled first flight is expected to transport approximately 270 passengers. The aircraft is scheduled to depart from Johannesburg on Wednesday evening, provided that all necessary international permits and administrative clearances have been fully secured.
In tandem with the flight delay, the Federal Government has extended the mandatory screening exercise for citizens wishing to be evacuated until Wednesday. “I received confirmation from our mission in Pretoria that the screening exercise of Nigerian nationals, who have indicated interest to be evacuated back home, has been extended to Wednesday,” Ebienfa stated, noting that more than 500 individuals have already been successfully screened and cleared for departure.
