Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Federal Government will today resume the evacuation of Nigerian nationals from South Africa, with 271 citizens expected to be airlifted home aboard an Air Peace aircraft as Abuja continues efforts to repatriate those affected by recent anti-immigration tensions in the country.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the aircraft is scheduled to depart Nigeria at 3:00 p.m. on Monday and arrive in South Africa at about 9:00 p.m. local time. The return flight will leave South Africa at midnight and is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday morning with 271 evacuees.
The latest operation marks another phase of the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme launched after renewed xenophobic attacks and anti-immigration protests in parts of South Africa prompted hundreds of Nigerians to seek assistance to return home. More than 1,000 Nigerians had registered for the evacuation exercise following the unrest.
The exercise began earlier this month when the first batch of evacuees was flown back to Nigeria aboard an Air Peace flight. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 258 Nigerians were received in Lagos on June 11, while other reports put the number of passengers at between 262 and 268 due to differing counts of officials accompanying the returnees.
Last week, the Federal Government also evacuated an additional 66 Nigerians from South Africa, underscoring its commitment to bringing home citizens who voluntarily opted to leave amid security concerns.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ongoing evacuation reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad and providing consular support during periods of crisis.
The latest update was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa.
