The first group of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa after the recent xenophobic attacks has arrived in Lagos.
The Punch reported that a total of 268 evacuees touched down at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Thursday aboard an Air Peace aircraft deployed for the Federal Government’s evacuation exercise.
The flight, which was initially expected to depart on Monday, experienced delays until Wednesday due to documentation and clearance procedures before finally departing South Africa.
The repatriation comes amid rising concerns over the safety of Nigerians residing in South Africa following reports of renewed xenophobic violence that have forced many foreign nationals to seek assistance to return to their countries.
The Federal Government had earlier revealed that over 1,000 Nigerians expressed interest in returning home, with plans already underway for additional evacuation flights in the coming days.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu previously stated that requests for repatriation from Nigerians in South Africa continued to increase.
She explained that the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria had been working closely with South African authorities to support affected citizens, including individuals dealing with immigration-related matters.
According to the minister, measures were put in place to ensure that Nigerians with unresolved immigration issues could leave through the evacuation programme instead of facing possible detention.
As part of the process, the Nigerian Mission in South Africa began screening and documenting prospective returnees.
The registration exercise, which was originally expected to conclude over the weekend, was later extended due to the growing number of Nigerians seeking evacuation.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the extension demonstrated the government’s resolve to safeguard the welfare and interests of Nigerians living abroad.
“This underscores the priority accorded to the protection of Nigerian citizens overseas, which remains a central pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy and a core responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the statement read.
Officials said the arrival of the first batch signals the commencement of a wider evacuation effort aimed at assisting Nigerians affected by the unrest and ensuring their safe return to the country. :::
