The Federal Government has concluded the evacuation of Nigerians affected by the recent wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, with the final government-sponsored flight returning 308 evacuees to Lagos on Wednesday.
The Air Peace aircraft landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, carrying 308 Nigerians alongside three government officials who coordinated the evacuation exercise. The returnees included women, children and entire families displaced by the violence.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, confirmed that the latest airlift brought the total number of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa to more than 1,500.
“The last Federal Government-sponsored flight conveying our nationals home from South Africa as a result of the xenophobic protests and attacks on black migrants departed Oliver Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, this morning. Over 1,500 nationals have now been evacuated. This flight carried 308 Nigerians and three government officials. Our prayers are for their safe return,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended President Bola Tinubu for authorising the emergency evacuation, describing the intervention as timely and lifesaving for Nigerians caught in the unrest.
She said the President’s “decisive leadership and compassionate intervention” ensured the successful evacuation of stranded citizens, adding that many lives could have been lost without the swift response.
The minister also lauded officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa and Air Peace for their roles in coordinating and executing the evacuation operation.
The evacuation followed a series of xenophobic attacks targeting black migrants in parts of South Africa, prompting the Federal Government to launch an emergency airlift to bring affected Nigerians back home safely.
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