The Federal Government on Tuesday received 269 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa, as efforts continue to bring home citizens who opted for voluntary repatriation ahead of the June 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
The second evacuation flight, operated by Air Peace, landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, at 10:48 a.m.
The ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the latest batch brings the total number of Nigerians repatriated under the ongoing exercise to 335, following the arrival of 66 returnees on June 24 aboard a South African Airways flight.
According to the ministry, the evacuees were accompanied by officials of the Nigerian Mission in South Africa and were received on arrival by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The reception team was led by the Director of the African Affairs Department, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe, who conveyed President Bola Tinubu's goodwill message to the returnees.
Ali-Gombe reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to the welfare, safety and protection of Nigerians living abroad.
The ministry said the evacuation exercise remains ongoing despite the expiration of the June 30 deadline set by South African authorities for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.
It added that more evacuation flights are expected in the coming days to bring home all Nigerians who have been screened and cleared for voluntary return.
"The evacuation process is still on course and more flights are expected in the country in the next few days to evacuate all Nigerians that have been screened and cleared to voluntarily return to the country," the statement said.
The ministry also assured that the Federal Government would continue diplomatic engagements with South African authorities to safeguard the rights and welfare of Nigerians residing in the country while facilitating the safe return of those who choose to come home.
Comments
Add a comment