Nigeria is continuing the government-led evacuation of Nigerians stranded in South Africa following xenophobic attacks. Multiple reports say the Federal Government receives and stages arrivals in Lagos, with Air Peace flights bringing returnees to Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The latest batches described include 271 and 500 Nigerians waiting for evacuation, with subsequent flights bringing hundreds more as the programme progresses.
Officials from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, confirm planned additional evacuations, while other outlets report that the effort has nearly or fully wrapped up, depending on the specific flight referenced. One report says a final government-sponsored flight brings 315 returnees on a schedule departing Johannesburg before dawn and arriving in Lagos. Another account states the last evacuation flight includes 308 returnees, and that the broader exercise has repatriated over 1,100 people, while other figures cite totals above 1,300 and up to 1,490.
Some reports also mention a deadline raised by anti-immigration groups and reference reported deaths linked to the violence, with Nigeria urging registered citizens who want to return to use the programme.
