The fourth batch of 282 Nigerians stranded in South Africa is expected to arrive in Lagos on Thursday night, bringing the total number of evacuees under the Federal Government’s repatriation programme to 1,141.
The figure is separate from the 66 Nigerians who were earlier evacuated through a private initiative.
The evacuation exercise began on June 11, 2026, following appeals from Nigerians affected by nationwide protests in South Africa led by the March and March group, which has been campaigning for the expulsion of foreign nationals, particularly other Africans.
The latest group was initially scheduled to return on Tuesday, but the flight was postponed after engineers detected cracks in the aircraft’s cockpit, prompting the deployment of a replacement aircraft.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the returnees would arrive aboard an Air Peace flight at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, at about 7:30 p.m.
According to the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the flight manifest contains 284 passengers, with 282 being evacuees and the remaining two government officials involved in the operation.
Ebienfa said the ongoing evacuation reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare of Nigerians living abroad, adding that Air Peace has continued to provide airlift support for the repatriation exercise.
The evacuation comes amid continued concerns over the safety of foreign nationals in South Africa following protests and reported incidents targeting immigrants.
