Another batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa arrived in Lagos on Tuesday as part of the Federal Government’s ongoing voluntary repatriation programme.
The Air Peace flight, carrying about 271 evacuees, landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport shortly before 11:00 a.m. after departing Johannesburg at about 5:00 a.m. local time.
Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) were on hand to receive the returnees.
The latest evacuation is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to assist Nigerians who have voluntarily chosen to return home amid rising anti-immigration tensions in South Africa.
The exercise follows a June 30 deadline reportedly declared by some vigilante groups and organisations calling for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
President Bola Tinubu approved the voluntary evacuation programme earlier this month to facilitate the safe return of Nigerians willing to leave South Africa.
Earlier in June, the Federal Government announced that five Air Peace evacuation flights had been approved after more than 500 Nigerians were screened for repatriation. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the flights are intended to ensure that all registered Nigerians who wish to return home are evacuated safely.
Before the latest operation, 328 Nigerians had already been repatriated in two batches. The first flight, which arrived on June 11, brought back 262 returnees, while a second batch of 66 Nigerians landed in Lagos on June 25.
The evacuation exercise is being coordinated by the Federal Government in partnership with Air Peace and other relevant agencies.
Meanwhile, security remained heightened in parts of South Africa on Tuesday. Most shops in central Johannesburg stayed closed, while police officers were deployed across the city as commuters made their way to work.
The demonstrations have been organised by a loose coalition of smaller political parties and citizen-led vigilante groups, which analysts say appear to be well coordinated and adequately resourced.
In the southeastern city of Durban, small groups of protesters dressed in traditional Zulu attire gathered in a public park carrying sticks and shields while chanting “Abahambe,” a Zulu expression meaning “Let them go,” as security personnel monitored the situation.
The Nigerian government has continued to monitor developments in South Africa while urging citizens in the country to remain law-abiding and prioritise their safety.
Source: Donatus Anichukwueze
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