The Federal Government has announced that another 271 Nigerians affected by the recent xenophobic protests in South Africa are expected to arrive in Lagos on Friday as efforts to evacuate citizens who opted to return home continue.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, saying the latest evacuation flight would move the government closer to completing the voluntary repatriation of affected Nigerians.
According to the ministry, the third evacuation flight is scheduled to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, carrying 271 returnees.
The ministry said 593 Nigerians have already been successfully evacuated from South Africa in earlier operations since the exercise commenced.
It recalled that the first batch of 258 evacuees arrived in Lagos on June 11 aboard a special Air Peace flight and were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, on behalf of the Federal Government before being handed over to relevant ministries, departments and agencies for documentation, profiling and reintegration.
The ministry explained that logistical difficulties delayed the second evacuation exercise, forcing some Nigerians to remain temporarily at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, where arrangements were made to provide them with accommodation and other necessary support.
It further revealed that a Nigerian philanthropist intervened by sponsoring the airfare of 66 stranded citizens, enabling them to return to Lagos on June 24. Another 269 evacuees were subsequently repatriated on June 30 through the second government-coordinated evacuation flight.
The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare and protection of Nigerians abroad, noting that it would continue to work with the Nigerian High Commission and relevant stakeholders to ensure the safe return of all citizens affected by the unrest in South Africa who voluntarily registered for evacuation.
