The Federal Government has evacuated another 66 Nigerians from South Africa as efforts continue to bring home citizens affected by the latest wave of xenophobic attacks in the country.
The evacuees arrived in Nigeria on Thursday night through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, marking the second batch of Nigerians repatriated under the ongoing evacuation exercise approved by President Bola Tinubu.
Their arrival comes days after the first batch of 258 Nigerians returned to the country on June 11 through a chartered Air Peace flight.
Officials said the latest evacuation is part of emergency measures introduced by the Federal Government following growing concerns over renewed attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa, particularly African migrants.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that the 66 returnees were successfully brought back in the second phase of the operation.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) also confirmed the development, noting that the evacuation process remains active as authorities work to ensure that all registered Nigerians willing to return are safely repatriated.
The latest evacuation flight was facilitated by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ValueJet, Kunle Soname, with officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa accompanying the returnees back to Nigeria.
Speaking after the arrival of the evacuees, Head of NiDCOM’s Lagos Office, Dipo Onabowale, praised the Federal Government for acting swiftly in response to the situation.
He said the evacuation was made possible following President Tinubu’s approval and added that concerns recorded during the first batch were already being addressed by relevant authorities.
According to him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has continued to coordinate efforts to ensure a smooth evacuation process for Nigerians stranded in South Africa.
Authorities also reassured affected citizens that no Nigerian registered for evacuation would be left behind.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has reportedly assured that all Nigerians who have indicated interest in returning home would be accommodated in the evacuation exercise.
Meanwhile, support packages have been announced for the returnees to help ease their reintegration.
NiDCOM disclosed that evacuees from Imo State would receive financial support of N1 million each from Governor Hope Uzodimma.
In addition, MTN Nigeria provided free SIM cards and data worth N50,000 to each returnee, while N100,000 was also deposited into individual bank accounts.
Founder of Harvesters International Christian Centre, Pastor Bolaji Idowu, also donated N100,000 to each of the evacuees as part of support efforts.
Several of the returnees expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and other government officials for facilitating their safe return.
They also commended the acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Temitope Ajayi, NiDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and other individuals who contributed to the evacuation process.
Officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and security agencies were present at the airport to receive and document the returnees.