Nigeria’s Federal Government says the first group of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa after xenophobic attacks is due to arrive in Lagos on Thursday. Multiple outlets report that the return is part of an official repatriation exercise coordinated by the Nigerian authorities. Vanguard reports that the evacuees are flown from Johannesburg, departing O.R. Tambo International Airport on Wednesday night aboard an Air Peace aircraft, and are expected to reach Lagos on Thursday morning. The Punch similarly states that the first batch of repatriated Nigerians arrives Lagos on Thursday. Premium Times adds that the Federal Government fully funds the evacuation, meaning Nigerians affected by the attacks are repatriated at no cost to them. Together, the reports indicate that the exercise is underway, beginning with the first batch scheduled to land in Lagos this week, with further arrivals expected as the broader operation continues. No figures on the number of evacuees are included in the excerpts provided.