FG Begins Evacuation of Nigerians From South Africa After Xenophobic Attacks

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bianca Ojukwu. Photo by Vanguard News)

The Federal Government has announced that the first batch of Nigerian nationals being evacuated from South Africa following recent xenophobic att@cks will arrive in Lagos on Thursday morning.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the evacuees will depart Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Wednesday night aboard an Air Peace flight, with an expected arrival time of 5:00 a.m. at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.

The ministry stressed that the evacuation exercise is being fully funded by the Federal Government and that no affected Nigerian would be required to pay for the trip home.

The statement further assured that adequate arrangements have been made for the reception and reintegration of returnees upon arrival in Nigeria.

Relevant ministries, departments, and agencies have been mobilised to provide support, and the returnees will undergo documentation and profiling procedures before reuniting with their families.

The government also reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare and protection of Nigerian citizens wherever they reside.