FG evacuates more Nigerians from South Africa as xenophobic tensions escalate

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to evacuate Nigerians stranded in South Africa, airlifting 268 citizens from Johannesburg as renewed xenophobic attacks and anti-migrant protests continue to threaten the safety of foreign nationals.

The latest batch of evacuees arrived in Nigeria on Friday aboard a special charter flight operated by Air Peace, marking another phase of the emergency evacuation exercise ordered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the aircraft departed O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 5:36 a.m. and landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, at about 10:40 a.m.

She said the latest flight carried 268 Nigerians, alongside two officials and the flight crew, adding that government agencies were on hand at the airport to receive the returnees for documentation, profiling and other reintegration support.

The evacuation was carried out despite the expiration of a June 30 ultimatum reportedly issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa, highlighting the Federal Government’s determination to continue bringing home Nigerians who feel threatened by the unrest.

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Odumegwu-Ojukwu disclosed that Friday’s operation followed the successful evacuation of nearly 600 Nigerians in three previous batches before the June 30 deadline.

She said President Tinubu had directed that the evacuation exercise should continue until every Nigerian who voluntarily registered and completed the required screening process is safely returned home.

“The Federal Government is committed to bringing home safely our nationals who voluntarily registered to be evacuated and have been duly screened and cleared,” the minister said.

She reaffirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to protecting Nigerians living abroad, describing the welfare, safety and dignity of citizens overseas as a key priority of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in adherence to that unbreakable bond between citizen and state, remains dedicated to this mandate. The protection of our citizens abroad remains our priority,” she said.

She added that the government remained committed to safeguarding the dignity of Nigerians regardless of where they reside.

The emergency evacuation comes amid heightened tensions in parts of South Africa, where fresh xenophobic protests targeting foreign nationals have heightened fears among migrant communities, including thousands of Nigerians living and working in the country.

The Federal Government has continued to urge Nigerians in South Africa to remain calm, maintain close contact with Nigerian diplomatic missions and take advantage of the voluntary evacuation programme where necessary.

With Friday’s operation, the total number of Nigerians evacuated under the ongoing emergency exercise has risen to nearly 900, as the Federal Government continues to monitor the situation and coordinate additional rescue flights for citizens willing to return home.