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More than 500 Nigerians have registered for evacuation from South Africa as renewed xenophobic attacks continue to heighten concerns over the safety of foreign nationals in the country.
The Federal Government has, however, rescheduled the first evacuation flight, initially planned for Monday, to Wednesday due to logistical considerations, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had approved five evacuation flights to facilitate the voluntary return of Nigerians affected by the ongoing tensions in South Africa.
He explained that Air Peace has been designated to operate the evacuation exercise, with the first flight now expected to depart Johannesburg on Wednesday evening after all necessary clearances are completed.
“The proposed airlifting of the first batch of returnees from South Africa, originally scheduled for Monday, has been rescheduled to Wednesday due to unforeseen logistical considerations,” Ebienfa said.
He added that screening and verification of Nigerians willing to return had been extended to Wednesday at the Nigerian mission in Pretoria, as the number of applicants continues to rise.
So far, more than 500 Nigerians have been screened and cleared for evacuation, a figure that already exceeds the capacity of the initial aircraft assigned for the operation.
The first flight is expected to convey about 270 passengers, indicating that additional flights will be required to complete the evacuation process.
The Federal Government’s intervention comes amid renewed reports of xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants in parts of South Africa, a recurring issue that has strained diplomatic relations between both countries over the years.
With hundreds already cleared and more still being processed, the evacuation is shaping up to be one of the largest organised return operations of Nigerians from South Africa in recent years.
