The Federal Government has successfully evacuated another batch of 282 Nigerian citizens from South Africa, marking the latest phase of its ongoing repatriation exercise.
The initiative was launched in response to a volatile wave of xenophobic violence and anti-immigrant protests that have increasingly targeted foreign nationals across several South African communities.
The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos aboard an Air Peace flight late Thursday night.
This latest arrival brings the total number of Nigerians safely repatriated since the evacuation operations commenced on June 11 to 1,141.
The airlift comes amid heightened anxieties, as more than 1,000 Nigerians had previously registered their willingness to return home due to escalating safety concerns.
The urgency of the mission was underscored by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who urged remaining stranded citizens to take advantage of the government’s intervention.
Her appeal coincided with grim reports confirming the deaths of two more Nigerians in South Africa, officially raising the death toll from the recent violence to four—though some returnees claim the actual number of casualties is higher. “The Federal Government will ensure that no Nigerian who has indicated interest in returning home is left behind,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu assured.
The ongoing violence has triggered severe diplomatic friction, prompting the Nigerian Senate to order a fresh probe into the crisis and even consider severing certain ties with South Africa.
While South African rights groups had previously issued an unofficial June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave, the Nigerian government has maintained steady operations to protect its citizens and ensure their orderly departure.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that the repatriation exercise is now nearing completion.
He announced that the fifth and final evacuation flight is scheduled to arrive in Nigeria next week, officially concluding the airlift operation.
Moving forward, the Federal Government has re-emphasized its commitment to utilizing formal diplomatic channels to safeguard the welfare of Nigerians abroad while providing rehabilitation support for the returnees.
