The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday confirmed the evacuation of an additional 111 distressed Nigerian citizens from South Africa, following heightened concerns over xenophobic and Afrophobic violence targeted at foreign nationals.
In an official statement issued in Abuja, the spokesperson for the Ministry, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, disclosed that the returnees—comprising 44 men, 23 women, and 44 children—arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos aboard South African Airways flight SA060.
Upon arrival, the group was received by a joint government reception team including officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.
According to the spokesperson, this latest emergency exercise brings the total number of official consular repatriations from South Africa to 15 since the Federal Government kicked off the dedicated rescue initiative on June 10. To date, a cumulative total of 2,037 Nigerians have been safely brought back home under the program, with state resources fully covering the complete transportation and logistical costs for 1,388 of those returnees.
The Ministry explained that the flight costs for this recent batch were entirely underwritten by a $265,854 intervention fund provided by the Redeemed Christian Church of God to assist vulnerable nationals stranded abroad. With this arrival, 318 citizens have now benefited directly from the faith-based organization’s airfare sponsorship, leaving a balance of 182 travel tickets to be allocated under the religious body’s commitment to fund safe passage for 500 people.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry reaffirmed the Federal Government’s unwavering dedication to protecting the lives, rights, and dignity of Nigerian citizens residing overseas.
Adeniyi further advised nationals choosing to stay behind in South Africa to maintain high security awareness, comply with local laws, and keep open lines of communication with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and the Consulate General in Johannesburg for emergency consular support.
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