The federal government says another batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa amid ongoing anti-migrant violence arrived safely at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed that the Air Peace charter flight funded by the Federal Government conveyed 268 returnees, alongside two officers and crew members, from Johannesburg to Lagos.
In a statement posted on her X handle, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said President Bola Tinubu had directed that the evacuation exercise should continue despite the expiration of the June 30 ultimatum issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa.
She noted that three earlier evacuation flights had already brought home nearly 600 Nigerians before the deadline, adding that the exercise remains ongoing for all citizens who voluntarily registered and were duly screened.
The evacuation comes as anti-immigrant protests intensified across South Africa, where demonstrators have demanded the departure of undocumented foreign nationals, blaming them for unemployment and pressure on public services.
The latest wave of violence has reportedly claimed at least four lives, while several African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, have organised voluntary repatriation for their citizens.
