The Federal Government has postponed the airlifting of the first batch of Nigerian citizens seeking to return home from South Africa following the recent wave of xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in the country.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
According to Ebienfa, the evacuation flight, initially scheduled for Monday, has been rescheduled to Wednesday due to unforeseen logistical considerations.
He explained that President Bola Tinubu had approved five evacuation flights to be operated by Nigeria’s private carrier, Air Peace, to facilitate the safe return of affected Nigerians.
“The first flight, expected to convey about 270 passengers, will depart Johannesburg on Wednesday evening after all necessary permits and clearances for the aircraft have been secured,” he said.
Ebienfa further revealed that the screening exercise for Nigerians who indicated interest in returning home has also been extended until Wednesday.
“I received confirmation from our mission in Pretoria that the screening exercise of Nigerian nationals who have indicated interest to be evacuated back home has been extended to Wednesday.
“So far, more than 500 persons have been screened and cleared,” he stated.
The evacuation effort comes amid growing concerns over renewed xenophobic violence in South Africa, which has prompted many Nigerians and other foreign nationals to seek assistance to return to their home countries.
Comments