Federal Government Evacuates Another Batch of Nigerians from South Africa

The Federal Government has evacuated another 66 Nigerians from South Africa as part of its ongoing response to the recent wave of xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in the country.

The latest group of returnees arrived in Nigeria under the second phase of the evacuation exercise approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assist Nigerians willing to return home following the unrest.

The exercise follows the successful repatriation of the first batch of 258 Nigerians, who arrived in the country on June 11 aboard a chartered Air Peace flight.

Confirming the development on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed that 66 Nigerians were brought home in the latest operation.

The Head of the Lagos Office of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mr. Dipo Onabowale, revealed that the evacuation flight was sponsored by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ValueJet, Mr. Kunle Soname. He added that officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa accompanied the returnees throughout the journey.

Speaking on behalf of the NiDCOM Chairman, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Onabowale commended President Tinubu for approving the evacuation and noted that challenges experienced during the first phase of the operation were being addressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He also said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, had assured that all registered Nigerians who wish to return from South Africa would be evacuated.

To support the returnees’ reintegration, MTN Nigeria distributed free SIM cards and data worth ₦50,000 to each evacuee, while ₦100,000 was credited into the bank account of every returnee. Founder of Harvesters International Christian Centre, Pastor Bolaji Idowu, also donated ₦100,000 to each of the evacuees.

The returnees expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for facilitating their safe return and thanked Kunle Soname, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa Ambassador Temitope Ajayi, NiDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and other individuals and organisations that contributed to the success of the evacuation.

Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and other security agencies were on hand at the airport to receive and process the returnees.