271 more Nigerians evacuated from South Africa to arrive Friday

Nigeria is continuing its evacuation of citizens from South Africa, with another 271 individuals set to arrive in Lagos on Friday. This latest group is part of an ongoing exercise to bring home Nigerians affected by recent xenophobic protests in South Africa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrival details, noting the third evacuation flight is expected at Murtala Mohammed International Airport early Friday.

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For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to place on record that all the special evacuation flights are fully paid for by the Federal Government and at no cost to the returnees.

So far, a total of 593 Nigerians have been evacuated in previous operations. The first batch of 258 arrived on June 11, followed by another group of 66 who returned on June 24 with airfare paid by a Nigerian philanthropist. A second government-arranged flight brought 269 evacuees on June 30. Logistical issues had previously delayed one of the flights, leading to some Nigerians being temporarily housed at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.

The ministry announced that three more flights are planned in the coming days to repatriate approximately 700 additional Nigerians who have registered and been cleared for evacuation. Addressing claims that Nigerian Mission officials were soliciting money from evacuees, the ministry vehemently dismissed these allegations. It clarified that all special evacuation flights are fully funded by the Federal Government and are at no cost to the returnees, labeling the claims as "totally false, fake news."

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This clarification is necessitated by insinuations and false allegations that some staff of the Nigerian Mission were requesting money before enlisting our nationals for the evacuation flights. That is totally false, fake news, and should be discarded.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed appreciation for the coordination and collaboration with relevant government agencies, emphasizing their continued work together for the nation's benefit. The government reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the safety and return of its citizens affected by the unrest.

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The Ministry appreciates the very positive coordination and collaboration with relevant MDAs in making this process a success, and we will continue to work together for the good of our country.