Nigeria’s evacuation of citizens caught in South Africa’s anti-migrant violence continued on Friday as another flight brought a fresh batch of returnees safely to Lagos.
The aircraft landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, confirming that 268 returnees, alongside two officers and crew members, were on board the evacuation flight.
She said the special charter, funded by the Federal Government and operated by Air Peace, departed Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 5:36 a.m.
According to her, President Bola Tinubu has directed that evacuation efforts continue beyond the June 30 deadline set by South African anti-migrant groups and vigilantes.
“Three batches of returnees — almost 600 nationals in total — had earlier been successfully evacuated from South Africa before the deadline,” she said.
“The evacuations remain ongoing. The Federal Government is committed to bringing home safely our nationals who voluntarily registered to be evacuated and have been duly screened and cleared.”
She added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains committed to protecting Nigerians abroad, describing it as a core priority of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The dignity and safety of Nigerians abroad remain central to our mandate,” she said.
In recent weeks, South Africa has witnessed renewed anti-migrant demonstrations, with groups demanding the removal of undocumented foreigners amid rising tensions over jobs and public services.
Thousands have taken part in protests across major cities, some of which turned violent, with reports of looting, stone-throwing and clashes with security forces. Several African nationals have been killed in the unrest.
In response, several African countries, including Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, have launched voluntary repatriation efforts for affected citizens.
Meanwhile, Nigerian authorities say they are documenting abandoned businesses and property belonging to returnees, with a view to seeking compensation from the South African government.
Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, said returnees have been advised to provide detailed records of assets left behind to support future claims.
“We are going to systematically follow up on the information provided and engage the South African authorities to recover value where possible,” he said.
