The Federal Government has commenced urgent evacuation of Nigerians stranded in South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks, with no fewer than 742 citizens expected to be airlifted home before June 30, 2026.
The evacuation, confirmed on Thursday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, comes amid rising tension and reported assaults targeting foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, assured that the Tinubu administration would not abandon any Nigerian who has voluntarily chosen to return home due to safety concerns.
According to her, about 1,000 Nigerians had registered for evacuation from the crisis-hit country, while 258 were successfully evacuated in the first phase and received at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on June 11.
She disclosed that the remaining 742 citizens would be evacuated in subsequent batches before the June 30 deadline, stressing that arrangements had been concluded to ensure a seamless process.
“The Federal Government remains committed to the protection and welfare of Nigerians abroad. No citizen willing to return home will be left behind,” the minister said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that President Bola Tinubu had directed that all Nigerians exposed to danger
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