The Federal Government has repatriated an additional 66 Nigerians from South Africa as part of ongoing efforts to support citizens affected by recent xenophobic attacks.
The evacuees, who constitute the second batch, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at approximately 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday.
Their return follows an evacuation directive approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in response to renewed violence against foreign nationals in South Africa.
Confirming the development on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed that 66 individuals were successfully repatriated in the second phase of the exercise.
Also speaking, the Lagos Office Head of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dipo Onabowale, revealed that the evacuation flight was facilitated by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ValueJet, Kunle Soname. He added that officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa accompanied the returnees.
Read more news
Xenophobia: South African govt laments a𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀 l𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗶𝗴𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱
Peter Obi backs South Africa style borrowing transparency
Nigeria begins evacuation of citizens from South Africa over xenophobic attacks
According to him, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has assured that all Nigerians in South Africa who have registered and are willing to return will be evacuated.
NiDCOM also disclosed support measures for the returnees. It stated that evacuees from Imo State would receive N1 million each from Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Additionally, MTN Nigeria provided free SIM cards and N50,000 worth of data, while each returnee received N100,000 credited to their bank account.
Founder of Harvesters International Christian Centre, Pastor Bolaji Idowu, also donated N100,000 to each of the evacuees.
The returnees expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for facilitating their safe return, as well as to Kunle Soname, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Temitope Ajayi, NiDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and others who contributed to the exercise.
Officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and other security agencies were present at the airport to receive and process the returnees.
