The Federal Government has evacuated another 66 Nigerians from South Africa following renewed concerns over xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals.
The returnees arrived at the Lagos International Airport on Wednesday night as part of an ongoing evacuation exercise approved by President Bola Tinubu.
The latest operation is the second phase of the government’s efforts to bring back Nigerians affected by the situation.
First batch arrived earlier
The evacuation follows the arrival of the first group of 258 Nigerians who returned to the country on June 11 through a chartered flight operated by Air Peace.
The government said the exercise is aimed at ensuring the safety of Nigerians registered for evacuation.
NiDCOM explains evacuation process
The Head of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in Lagos, Dipo Onabowale, confirmed the arrival of the latest batch.
He said the evacuation was supported by Kunle Soname, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ValueJet, while officials from the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa accompanied the returnees.
Onabowale, speaking on behalf of NiDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa, praised the government’s decision to approve the evacuation.
Government promises more evacuations
According to NiDCOM, challenges experienced during the first evacuation exercise are being addressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The commission also stated that Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu assured that all registered Nigerians in South Africa would be evacuated.
The government continues to monitor the situation as efforts remain ongoing to assist Nigerians affected by the reported attacks.