Another set of 282 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos late on Thursday night aboard an Air Peace flight, bringing the total number of returnees to 1,141.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrival in a statement by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
"The fourth evacuation flight from South Africa operated by Air Peace arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos today with 282 returnees," Ebienfa said.
He added that "the fifth and final evacuation flight will arrive Nigeria next week."
The federal government began the voluntary evacuation exercise in June after renewed anti-immigration protests and attacks against foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.
More than 1,000 Nigerians registered to return home under the programme, which is fully funded by the government and coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu had urged affected Nigerians to put their safety first, saying, "The price of your peace, and the safety of your children is not worth any sacrifices you have to make, or any assets you have to leave behind when fleeing a conflict zone or hate-infested environment."
The House of Representatives has strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as unacceptable and calling on the federal government to adopt tougher diplomatic measures if Nigerian citizens continue to be targeted.
The evacuation has been carried out in phases by Air Peace, with the first flight bringing home about 260 Nigerians on 11th June, followed by subsequent flights carrying more returnees as screening continued at Nigeria's High Commission in Pretoria.
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