The Federal Government has successfully evacuated 269 Nigerians from South Africa, marking the second batch of returnees amid rising pressure from the June 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
The evacuees arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday morning aboard an Air Peace flight from Johannesburg, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to a statement signed by the Ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
This latest evacuation follows an earlier return of 66 Nigerians who arrived on June 24 via South African Airways, facilitated by a private individual.
Officials of the Nigerian Mission in South Africa accompanied the returnees, who were received in Lagos by senior government representatives led by the Director of African Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe.
Ali-Gombe conveyed the goodwill of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the returnees, assuring them of the Federal Government’s continued commitment to the safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad.
The evacuation exercise comes against the backdrop of South Africa’s enforcement deadline for undocumented migrants, prompting Nigerian authorities to intensify efforts to bring back affected citizens willing to return home.
The Ministry emphasized that the evacuation process is ongoing, with additional flights expected in the coming days to airlift more Nigerians who have been screened and cleared for voluntary repatriation.
It also assured that the Federal Government would continue high-level diplomatic engagements with South African authorities to safeguard the rights and protection of Nigerians residing in the country.
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