FG schedules four additional flights to evacuate Nigerians from South Africa

THE Nigerian government has announced plans to deploy 4 more flights to bring home Nigerians seeking to leave South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals.

Speaking after the arrival of the first group of evacuees at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday, spoksperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the government had made arrangements for a total of 5 repatriation flights.

The first aircraft transported 258 Nigerians back to the country, while additional flights are expected to commence next week. According to Ebienfa, the next batch of returnees is scheduled to arrive on Monday.

More than 1,000 Nigerians have reportedly participated in the ongoing screening exercise for those wishing to return home. However, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the number of interested persons continues to rise.

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The screening exercise, which began last Thursday, was initially expected to end on Saturday. The ministry, however, extended the process until Sunday to accommodate more Nigerians.

Ebienfa said the extension was approved to allow additional citizens to complete documentation and benefit from the evacuation programme funded by the Nigerian government.

He explained that upon arrival, returnees would be taken to a temporary facility managed by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), where they would undergo documentation before being reunited with relatives in their respective states.

The ministry’s spokesperson also said Nigeria would sustain diplomatic engagement with South Africa as both countries work towards strengthening bilateral relations and addressing concerns arising from the recent incidents.