| By: Francis Onyemachi
The Federal Government has evacuated another batch of Nigerians from South Africa as it continues the evacuation of citizens affected by the ongoing anti-migrant violence.
The latest group arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Friday, July 3, 2026, aboard a chartered Air Peace flight from Johannesburg.
Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of Foreign Affairs, said the flight brought back 268 Nigerians, along with two officials and crew members.
In a statement posted on her X account, the minister said President Bola Tinubu had directed that the evacuation exercise should continue despite the expiration of the June 30 ultimatum issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa.
“The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has directed that the evacuation of Nigerian nationals from South Africa who are at risk as a result of the ongoing xenophobic protests and attacks should continue, even after the June 30, 2026 deadline,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that three earlier evacuation flights had already brought home 593 Nigerians before the deadline, adding that the exercise remains open to all Nigerians who voluntarily registered, were screened and cleared for evacuation.
“The evacuations remain ongoing. The Federal Government is committed to bringing home safely our nationals who voluntarily registered to be evacuated and have been duly screened and cleared,” she said.
She added that the government-funded Air Peace flight departed O.R. Tambo International Airport at 5:36 a.m.
“Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in adherence to that unbreakable bond between citizen and state, remains dedicated to this mandate. The protection of our citizens abroad remains our priority, a central pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda. The dignity of our citizens abroad matters, and we remain committed to upholding it,” she added.
Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the latest evacuation would move the government closer to completing the return of Nigerians who voluntarily registered to leave South Africa.
The ministry said 593 Nigerians had already been evacuated in previous operations.
According to the ministry, the first batch of 258 evacuees arrived in Lagos on June 11 aboard a special Air Peace flight and were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, before being handed over to relevant ministries, departments and agencies for documentation and profiling.
It explained that logistical challenges delayed the second evacuation flight, forcing some Nigerians to remain temporarily at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, where they were accommodated by the mission.
The ministry added that a Nigerian philanthropist paid the airfare for 66 stranded Nigerians, who returned to Lagos on June 24, while another 269 evacuees arrived on June 30 through the second government-arranged evacuation flight.
It also disclosed that three additional evacuation flights had been scheduled to bring home about 700 more Nigerians who voluntarily registered, were screened and cleared for evacuation.
The ministry also dismissed allegations that officials at the Nigerian Mission demanded money from intending evacuees.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to place on record that all the special evacuation flights are fully paid for by the Federal Government and at no cost to the returnees.
“This clarification is necessitated by insinuations and false allegations that some staff of the Nigerian Mission were requesting money before enlisting our nationals for the evacuation flights. That is totally false, fake news and should be discarded.”
The Federal Government has also revealed plans to engage South African authorities on compensation for businesses and properties abandoned by affected Nigerians.
