Africa
FG Approves Five Flights to Evacuate Nigerians from South Africa Amid Xenophobia
Over 500 Nigerians have been cleared for evacuation from South Africa, with the first Air Peace flight expected to bring back 270 passengers.
The Federal Government has commenced plans to evacuate Nigerians seeking to return home from South Africa, following fresh incidents of xenophobic tensions in the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that five evacuation flights have been approved by President Bola Tinubu, with the first batch of returnees expected to arrive in Nigeria today.
Speaking on the development, the ministry’s spokesperson, Mr. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said the screening and documentation exercise for registered Nigerians has been extended to June 10, 2026, to accommodate more applicants.
According to him, over 500 Nigerians have successfully completed the screening process and have been cleared for evacuation.
The first Air Peace flight is expected to depart Johannesburg on Monday evening and transport approximately 270 passengers back to Lagos, subject to the necessary aviation approvals.
“I just received confirmation from our Mission in Pretoria that the screening of Nigerian nationals that have indicated interest to be evacuated back home has been extended to Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
“So far, over 500 persons have been screened and cleared. Mr. President has approved five evacuation flights that will be operated by Air Peace and the first flight, which will airlift about 270 passengers, is expected to leave Johannesburg on Monday (today) evening if the necessary permits and clearance are secured for the aircraft.”
Ebienfa added that information regarding the aircraft’s departure and arrival schedules would be communicated once updates are received from Nigeria’s High Commission in South Africa.
The evacuation exercise follows reports that over 1,000 Nigerians had registered for voluntary repatriation amid growing concerns over their safety.
Although the initial screening deadline was set for Saturday, authorities have prolonged the exercise to ensure that all eligible applicants are properly verified before departure.
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