FG to Receive Third Batch of 271 Nigerians from South Africa Today

The Federal Government is set to receive the third batch of 271 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa on Friday as it intensifies efforts to bring home citizens affected by the recent xenophobic attacks in the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the returnees are expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 5:30 a.m. aboard a special evacuation flight fully funded by the Federal Government.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the latest flight forms part of a broader evacuation programme aimed at returning about 700 more Nigerians who voluntarily registered for repatriation and have been screened and cleared by the relevant authorities.

The ministry disclosed that 593 Nigerians have so far been evacuated from South Africa through three previous operations.

It explained that the first batch of 258 returnees 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 and profiling.

The statement noted that logistical challenges delayed the second evacuation flight, prompting the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria to temporarily accommodate and cater for some stranded citizens.

It added that a Nigerian philanthropist volunteered to pay the airfares of 66 evacuees, who returned to the country aboard South African Airways on June 24.

Another 269 Nigerians were subsequently evacuated on a special flight that arrived in Lagos on June 30, bringing the total number of returnees to 593.

The ministry assured that three additional evacuation flights would be operated over the next few days to ensure that all Nigerians who opted for voluntary evacuation are brought home safely.

It also dismissed allegations that officials of the Nigerian Mission in South Africa demanded money from citizens before enlisting them for evacuation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, all the special evacuation flights are fully paid for by the Federal Government and at no cost to the returnees,” the ministry said.

It described reports that mission officials requested payments from evacuees as “totally false, fake news, and should be discarded.”

The ministry commended the collaboration of relevant ministries, departments and agencies involved in the evacuation exercise, describing their coordination as critical to the success of the operation.

It added that the evacuation underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad and ensuring that citizens affected by crises receive the necessary support, dignity and care.

“The lives of Nigerians living abroad matter, and we are trying our best as a Ministry to give them a sense of belonging,” the statement added.