Nigeria to Evacuate 270 Citizens from South Africa

The Federal Government of Nigeria has arranged to evacuate 270 Nigerians from South Africa on July 8, 2026, as part of its ongoing repatriation exercise. The returnees are expected to arrive at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos early Wednesday morning aboard an Air Peace aircraft.

This evacuation follows a previous operation where 269 Nigerians were evacuated and arrived in Lagos on July 7, 2026. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, announced that the aircraft would depart Lagos for Johannesburg on July 7, 2026, at 3:30 PM and return to Lagos by midnight.

The government has been actively facilitating voluntary returns for Nigerians facing various challenges in South Africa, amid rising xenophobic tensions and anti-immigrant protests. This latest evacuation underscores the government's commitment to ensuring the safe return of its citizens and responding to humanitarian emergencies abroad.