The latest group of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa arrived safely in Lagos on Tuesday as the Federal Government intensified its voluntary repatriation programme for citizens choosing to return home amid increasing anti-immigration tensions in South Africa.
A total of 271 returnees landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport shortly before 11:00 a.m. aboard an Air Peace aircraft after departing Johannesburg earlier in the day.
Officials from the National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission received the evacuees upon arrival and coordinated their processing at the airport.
The evacuation forms part of the Federal Government’s response to concerns raised by Nigerians living in South Africa following growing hostility towards undocumented migrants and the uncertainty surrounding recent demonstrations.
The latest operation also came ahead of a reported June 30 deadline announced by some vigilante groups and organisations calling for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa.
Earlier this month, President Bola Tinubu approved a voluntary evacuation programme for Nigerians willing to return home.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently confirmed that five Air Peace flights had been approved after more than 500 Nigerians registered for repatriation.
Before Tuesday’s flight, 328 Nigerians had already returned to the country through two previous evacuation exercises. The first batch of 262 arrived in Lagos on June 11, while another 66 Nigerians returned on June 25.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s evacuation, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that the Air Peace aircraft would depart Nigeria on Monday, June 29, before flying the returnees back from South Africa.
“The return flight is scheduled to depart South Africa at 12:00 midnight and is expected to arrive at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday morning. This will bring home 271 additional Nigerians who have volunteered to return,” Ebienfa said.
He added that the Federal Government plans to evacuate about 700 more Nigerians, depending on developments on the ground in South Africa.
Air Peace also confirmed its participation in the exercise, although the outbound flight experienced delays before departure.
The airline’s spokesperson, Mr. Efe Osifo-Whiskey, explained that the aircraft had not departed Nigeria as originally planned due to operational delays.
“The aircraft has not departed yet. They will let me know when it is time, but I do not know the reason for the delay. We are looking at evacuating 271 people, but let us see what happens when they arrive in Lagos,” he said.
Meanwhile, security remained tight across several South African cities on Tuesday as police maintained a visible presence during anti-immigration demonstrations.
In Johannesburg, many businesses stayed closed while security personnel monitored major locations as residents continued with their daily activities.
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The protests were reportedly organised by a coalition of small political parties and citizen-led vigilante groups demanding the removal of undocumented migrants from the country.
In Durban, demonstrators dressed in traditional Zulu attire gathered in a public park, singing and chanting “Abahambe,” meaning “Let them go,” while security operatives closely observed the gathering.
The Federal Government has continued to reassure Nigerians abroad of its commitment to protecting their welfare and providing assistance to those who wish to return home as the situation in South Africa develops.
