270 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa to arrive Lagos on Thursday

At least 270 Nigerians, the first batch of evacuees leaving South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks, are scheduled to arrive in Lagos on Thursday morning as the Federal Government steps up efforts to assist affected citizens.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that the evacuees will be flown aboard an Air Peace flight departing from Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport on Wednesday night, landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, around 5 a.m. on Thursday.

The government is funding the evacuation and will provide documentation, profiling, and support before reuniting the returnees with their families.

The exercise was initially set for Monday but was postponed due to logistical reasons. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, explained that additional time was needed to complete documentation and screening in collaboration with South African authorities. More than 1,000 Nigerians in South Africa have participated in the screening, with numbers still rising.

The Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria also secured waivers for some Nigerians with immigration-related offences, allowing them to depart through the repatriation programme instead of being detained.

The evacuation is being coordinated by the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant government agencies, following growing concerns over attacks on foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.