The Federal Government has successfully repatriated 1,490 Nigerian citizens from South Africa following a recent surge in xenophobic violence.
The comprehensive evacuation operation, which officially began in mid-June, was successfully wrapped up on Wednesday after the seventh and final batch of returnees arrived back on Nigerian soil.
While the Federal Government directly funded five of the repatriation flights, an additional two batches of citizens were brought home under emergency protocols, bringing the total number of rescue flights to seven.
In a detailed brief released on Wednesday, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shed light on the extensive logistics behind the repatriation program.
The operation required seamless cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, and the Consulate-General of Nigeria in Johannesburg. Back home, key support was provided by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and port health services to manage everything from initial registration to post-arrival reception.
“The Federal Government expresses profound appreciation to Air Peace Limited for its continued patriotism and partnership and support throughout the evacuation programme,” the official statement read.
While Ebienfa reiterated Nigeria’s dedication to maintaining its long-standing bilateral ties with South Africa, he made it clear that the government remains unyielding in its stance against xenophobia, racial intolerance, and targeted violence against foreigners.
He emphasized that Nigeria will continue to use active diplomatic channels to work with South African authorities to secure the safety and peaceful coexistence of all residents.
Furthermore, the ministry advised Nigerians living in foreign countries to remain law-abiding, register their presence with the nearest Nigerian diplomatic mission, and keep open lines of communication to ensure quick assistance during emergencies.
The evacuation exercise relied on a combination of scheduled and emergency flights over a five-week period:
Flight 1 (June 10): An Air Peace flight kicked off the operation, bringing home 258 Nigerians.
Flight 2 (June 24): South African Airways operated the first emergency flight, repatriating 66 citizens.
Flight 3 (June 30): A second Air Peace flight landed with 272 returnees.
Flight 4 (July 2): Air Peace completed its third trip, transporting 268 Nigerians.
Flight 5 (July 9): The fourth Air Peace flight arrived carrying 282 citizens.
Flight 6 (July 11): South African Airways executed the second emergency flight, carrying 39 individuals.
Flight 7 (July 15): The final batch of 305 Nigerians arrived safely aboard an Air Peace flight.
In total, the coordinated effort successfully secured the safe return of 1,490 Nigerians.
