The first group of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa following a fresh wave of xenophobic attacks has touched down in Lagos, with 262 returnees arriving at Murtala Muhammed International Airport aboard an Air Peace flight arranged by the Federal Government.
The evacuation was coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs alongside relevant agencies, with officials from the ministry, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and security personnel on hand to receive the returnees.
The evacuees are expected to undergo documentation and profiling before being reunited with their families — a process government officials described as necessary to properly identify returning citizens and channel appropriate support to them.
The repatriation follows weeks of escalating tension in South Africa, where renewed attacks on foreign nationals and foreign-owned businesses left Nigerian and other African migrants in a state of fear. More batches of returnees are expected, though the total number still awaiting evacuation and their arrival schedule have yet to be confirmed.
Minister in Addis Ababa as deputy receives returnees
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu had earlier said the evacuation became necessary after violent incidents forced many Nigerians to seek urgent relocation. She noted that the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, represented the Federal Government at the airport reception in her absence.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for talks on the possible transfer of over 100 Nigerian prisoners from Ethiopian correctional facilities back to Nigeria. She disclosed that the affected inmates are being held in Kaliti and Aba Samuel prisons, and that four Nigerians have died in custody due to health-related complications.
At least five other African nations also pull citizens out
Nigeria is not alone in its response. At least five other African countries — Ghana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Malawi — have similarly evacuated their nationals from South Africa amid the latest violence.
The recurring attacks on African migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers have drawn renewed international concern, with the United Nations having warned as far back as 2022 that South Africa was edging toward explosive xenophobic violence.
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to engaging Pretoria on the protection of Nigerians in South Africa, with officials stating that the evacuation exercise will continue for as long as citizens wish to return home.
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