Government-funded Air Peace flight set to land at Murtala Mohammed International Airport early Thursday as Nigeria begins large-scale evacuation of citizens amid rising tensions….
The first group of Nigerian nationals evacuated from South Africa is expected to touch down in Lagos in the early hours of Thursday, following a government-coordinated emergency response to escalating xenophobic violence and anti-immigrant protests in parts of the country.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the evacuees are scheduled to depart Johannesburg late Wednesday night from OR Tambo International Airport aboard a special flight operated by Air Peace Airlines. Their arrival is projected for approximately 5:00 a.m. at Murtala Mohammed International Airport.
The evacuation exercise is being fully financed by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Nigeria), which confirmed that affected citizens will not bear any cost for their return. Officials say additional batches are expected as Nigeria moves to repatriate more than 1,000 nationals in total.
Upon arrival in Lagos, the returnees will undergo standard documentation and profiling procedures before being assisted with reintegration support and reunited with their families. Authorities have also assured that reception teams and relevant government agencies have been deployed ahead of the flight’s landing.
The move comes amid renewed unrest in South Africa, where groups protesting against irregular migration have issued ultimatums for undocumented foreigners to leave by June 30. The situation has triggered fear among foreign communities and prompted several African countries, including Ghana and Malawi, to begin repatriation efforts of their own.
Diplomatic discussions have also intensified. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has indicated that retaliatory options are being reviewed at the highest levels of government, although no final decision has been taken.
South Africa, Africa’s most industrialized economy, continues to grapple with high unemployment rates, a factor analysts say has contributed to periodic spikes in anti-immigrant sentiment and violence.
With tensions still simmering and thousands of foreign nationals affected across multiple communities, the unfolding evacuation marks one of Nigeria’s most significant consular interventions in recent years.
