The fifth and final batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa has arrived in Lagos, bringing to a close the Federal Government's voluntary repatriation exercise for citizens affected by rising anti-immigration tensions in the country.
The Air Peace flight landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about 11:28 a.m. on Wednesday with 308 people on board, including 305 returnees and three Nigerian government officials who accompanied the operation.
The arrival marks the conclusion of the government's evacuation programme, launched to assist Nigerians who opted to return home following renewed concerns over xenophobia and attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa.
The Federal Government initiated the exercise after reports of increasing hostility toward immigrants prompted hundreds of Nigerians to register for voluntary evacuation.
Earlier in June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that more than 500 Nigerians had been screened for repatriation, while Air Peace was approved to operate the evacuation flights.
The ministry said the operation was designed to ensure that all registered Nigerians willing to return home would be transported safely.
President Bola Tinubu approved the voluntary evacuation programme as part of the government's efforts to protect the welfare and safety of Nigerian citizens abroad.
The evacuation exercise was coordinated by the Federal Government in partnership with Air Peace and relevant agencies.
Officials said the latest flight concludes the repatriation effort, with all registered Nigerians who chose to return now successfully evacuated from South Africa.
Comments
Add a comment