Another group of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa following renewed anti-migrant violence arrived safely at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Friday as the Federal Government sustained efforts to return affected citizens home.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the chartered Air Peace flight transported 268 evacuees, in addition to two officials and crew members, from Johannesburg to Lagos.
She explained that the special operation, sponsored by the Federal Government, departed O. R. Tambo International Airport at 5:36 a.m.
In a statement shared on her X account, the minister said Bola Tinubu had ordered that the evacuation should continue beyond the June 30 deadline earlier issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa.
“The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has directed that the evacuation of Nigerian nationals from South Africa at risk as a result of the ongoing xenophobic protests and attacks continues, even after the deadline of 30th June 2026,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that three previous evacuation flights had returned nearly 600 Nigerians to the country before the deadline and stressed that the process was still ongoing for citizens who voluntarily registered and completed the necessary screening procedures.
“The evacuations remain ongoing. The Federal Government is committed to bringing home safely our Nationals who voluntarily registered to be evacuated and have been duly screened and cleared,” the minister said.
She reiterated that safeguarding Nigerians living abroad remains one of the administration’s priorities.
“Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in adherence to that unbreakable bond between citizen and state, remains dedicated to this mandate,” she added, describing the protection of Nigerians overseas as “a central pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The evacuation exercise comes amid escalating anti-immigrant demonstrations across South Africa, where protesters have called for the removal of undocumented foreigners, accusing them of contributing to unemployment and placing pressure on public services.
The recent unrest has reportedly left at least four people dead, while countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique have initiated voluntary evacuation programmes for their nationals.
The Nigerian government has also signalled its intention to engage South African authorities on compensation for businesses and properties abandoned by affected citizens.
