S’Africa protest: 271 more evacuated Nigerians arrive today

A total of 271 Nigerians, affected by recent xenophobic protests in South Africa, arrived in Lagos on Friday, continuing the ongoing government-led evacuation exercise. This latest group brings the total number of evacuated Nigerians closer to completing the mission for those who voluntarily registered to return home.

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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.

The third evacuation flight was scheduled to land at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos early Friday morning. This operation follows previous evacuations, with a total of 593 Nigerians already having returned. The first batch of 258 arrived on June 11, and subsequent flights brought back additional evacuees, including 66 who had their airfare covered by a Nigerian philanthropist.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed and dismissed claims that officials from the Nigerian Mission in South Africa had demanded money from individuals seeking evacuation. The ministry emphasized that all special evacuation flights are fully funded by the Federal Government and are at no cost to the returnees. It clarified that these allegations were false and should be disregarded.

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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.

Logistical challenges had previously caused delays in the evacuation process, leading to some Nigerians being temporarily housed at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria. The ministry expressed appreciation for the coordination and collaboration among relevant government ministries, departments, and agencies that have contributed to the success of the evacuation efforts.

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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.