FG evacuates 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa over xenophobic attacks
The federal government has evacuated 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa following a wave of xenophobic attacks and security concerns affecting foreign nationals in the country.
The latest batch of 305 returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday aboard an Air Peace flight, bringing to a close the fifth phase of the government’s voluntary evacuation exercise.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the flight departed OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 6:30 a.m. South African time and landed in Lagos at about 11:30 a.m. It also carried three Nigerian government officials who coordinated the operation.
“With the successful completion of this operation, the Federal Government has now evacuated a total of 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa through a series of coordinated humanitarian flights undertaken in partnership with Air Peace Limited and South African Airways,” the ministry said.
The ministry explained that the evacuation followed sustained diplomatic engagement with the South African government and was undertaken in response to “the security concerns arising from ongoing xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians.”
It said the operation was jointly coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Port Health Services and other relevant agencies.
The government said seven humanitarian flights operated by Air Peace and South African Airways transported the evacuees between June and July.
According to the ministry, Air Peace evacuated 258 Nigerians on June 10, 272 on June 30, 268 on July 2, 282 on July 9 and 305 on July 15, while South African Airways returned 66 Nigerians on June 24 and another 39 on July 11.
