By Bisola Adeyemo
The Federal Government on Wednesday completed its evacuation of displaced Nigerians from South Africa as the final batch of Nigerian evacuees arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The flight, which landed at about 11:28 a.m., conveyed 308 returnees. This brings the total number of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa during the recent exercise to more than 1,400.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the evacuation exercise demonstrated his commitment to the welfare of Nigerians abroad, particularly those affected by xenophobic incidents in South Africa.
She said, “President Bola Tinubu’s decisive leadership and compassionate intervention in facilitating the successful airlift and safe return of Nigerians stuck in South Africa, imperiled by the spate of xenophobic incidents, no doubt saved many precious lives which could have been lost if not for this timely action.
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“His extension of the evacuation exercise even beyond the June 30 deadline issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa speaks volumes about his unwavering commitment to the welfare of our nationals in crisis situations,” she added.
The government had earlier conducted six evacuation flights from South Africa following concerns over xenophobia-related incidents that prompted the evacuation initiative.
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