Nigeria to Evacuate 700 Citizens from South Africa

The Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by Michael Olugbod, has concluded arrangements for the evacuation of 700 Nigerians stranded in South Africa due to recent xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals. This evacuation is part of an ongoing emergency operation that will increase the total number of repatriated Nigerians to nearly 1,300.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that three additional special evacuation flights are scheduled, with the first flight arriving at Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 5:30 PM on Friday, carrying 271 returnees. This follows the successful evacuation of 593 Nigerians in previous batches.

The Ministry, led by Sola Enikanolaiy, assured that all evacuation flights are fully funded by the federal government, dismissing claims circulating on social media that citizens were required to pay for their return. The operation reflects the government's commitment to ensuring the safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad, particularly in light of the recurring xenophobic violence in South Africa.