By Ayodele Oni
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, on Wednesday in Lagos received the last batch of Nigerians stranded in South Africa.
With their arrival, the Federal Government has concluded evacuation of Nigerians stranded in South Africa as the final repatriation flight landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with 308 returnees on board.
The Air Peace flight, which also conveyed three government officials, touched down at about 11:30 a.m., bringing to a close the government’s emergency evacuation exercise, launched in response to renewed xenophobic attacks and anti-migrant tensions in South Africa.
The latest batch increased the total number of Nigerians evacuated during the exercise to more than 1,500, according to the Federal Government.
Welcoming the returnees, the Minister, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, praised President Bola Tinubu for approving and sustaining the evacuation despite the expiration of the June 30 deadline earlier issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa.
She said the President’s intervention demonstrated his commitment to protecting Nigerians in distress abroad.
“President Bola Tinubu’s decisive leadership and compassionate intervention in facilitating the successful airlift and safe return of Nigerians stranded in South Africa, imperilled by the spate of xenophobic incidents, no doubt saved many precious lives which could have been lost if not for this timely action.
“His extension of the evacuation exercise even beyond the June 30 deadline issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa speaks volumes about his unwavering commitment to the welfare of our nationals in crisis situations,” she added.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also commended officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and Air Peace for coordinating the successful evacuation of the stranded citizens.
She welcomed the returnees home and assured them of the Federal Government’s continued support as they begin the process of reintegration.
The evacuation exercise was initiated after a wave of xenophobic attacks and anti-immigration protests in parts of South Africa prompted hundreds of Nigerians to voluntarily register for repatriation.
The Federal Government subsequently funded a series of evacuation flights to bring affected citizens back home safely.
Before Wednesday’s final flight, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had announced that the last evacuation aircraft would depart Johannesburg with the remaining registered Nigerians, marking the conclusion of the humanitarian operation.
The government had repeatedly assured that every Nigerian who indicated willingness to return home would be evacuated at no cost, describing the exercise as part of its commitment to safeguarding the lives and welfare of citizens wherever they may be.
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