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Nigeria is carrying out another evacuation of its citizens from South Africa on Friday as part of an ongoing operation coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
An evacuation flight is scheduled to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, conveying Nigerians who left South Africa amid rising xenophobic protests and reported attacks targeting foreign nationals.
The aircraft, operated by Air Peace Airlines and funded by the Nigerian government, departed from Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 5:36 a.m. According to official figures, the flight is carrying 268 returnees, alongside two officers and crew members.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has directed that evacuation efforts continue beyond the June 30 deadline earlier issued by South African anti-migrant groups and vigilantes, ensuring that all Nigerians deemed at risk are safely brought home.
Prior to this latest operation, three batches of returnees had already been evacuated, bringing back nearly 600 Nigerians in earlier phases of the exercise.
Upon arrival in Lagos, relevant ministries, departments and agencies are expected to carry out documentation and profiling of the returnees to ensure proper reintegration processes are followed. Authorities say the evacuation programme remains ongoing, with the government reiterating its commitment to Nigerians who voluntarily registered for return and were screened and cleared.
In a statement on the broader operation, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stressed that the process reflects what they described as the “unbreakable bond between citizen and state,” noting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains committed to its mandate.
“The protection of our citizens abroad remains our priority,” the statement added, describing it as a central pillar of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
