•South Africa returnees alighting from Air Peace aircraft, today
The final batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa amid rising xenophobic tensions has arrived in Lagos.
The evacuees were transported aboard an Air Peace flight, which landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 11:28 a.m.
The government had earlier conducted six evacuation flights, bringing home hundreds of Nigerians from South Africa following concerns over xenophobia-related incidents that prompted the evacuation initiative, reports Channels TV.
The latest evacuation is part of the federal government’s efforts to assist Nigerians who have voluntarily chosen to return home amid rising anti-immigration tensions in South Africa.
President Tinubu approved the voluntary evacuation programme earlier this month to enable Nigerians willing to leave South Africa to return home safely.
Earlier in June, the federal government disclosed that Air Peace evacuation flights had been approved after more than 500 Nigerians were screened for repatriation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the flights were intended to ensure that all registered Nigerians who wished to return would be evacuated safely.
The evacuation exercise is being coordinated by the federal government in partnership with Air Peace and other relevant agencies.
