A third group of Nigerian citizens evacuated from South Africa has arrived in Lagos. This follows weeks of anti-immigration protests and heightened xenophobic tensions in South Africa.
The evacuees landed at the cargo terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at approximately 10:54 a.m. on Tuesday, aboard an Air Peace aircraft.
According to Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this group brings the total number of evacuees to 593 as of June 30. This includes 66 individuals who arrived on June 24 via South African Airways, facilitated by a concerned Nigerian, and a first batch of 258 Nigerians received on June 11, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Ebienfa stated that this latest batch of 269 evacuees was escorted by officials from the Nigerian mission in South Africa and officially welcomed at the airport by senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, led by Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe, Director of the African Affairs Department.
Ambassador Ali-Gombe conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s greetings and assurances to the returning citizens, reaffirming the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety of Nigerians residing abroad.
Ebienfa added, “With the June 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa, the federal government wishes to reiterate that the evacuation process is still ongoing.”
More flights are anticipated in the coming days to evacuate all Nigerians who have been screened and cleared to voluntarily return home.
Ebienfa also confirmed that the federal government will continue high-level engagement with South African authorities to ensure the protection of Nigerian nationals living in the country. (NAN)
Discover more from News247 Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
