(Nigerian returnees. Photo by Vanguard News)
The federal government has repatriated another 66 Nigerians from South Africa as part of ongoing evacuation efforts following renewed xenophobic att@cks on foreign nationals in the country.
The returnees, comprising the second batch of evacuees, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at approximately 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday.
Their return follows the evacuation of the first batch of 258 Nigerians, who arrived on June 11 aboard a chartered Air Peace flight.
The exercise was approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in response to the att@cks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mr Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed the development on Thursday, while the head of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Lagos Office, Mr Dipo Onabowale, disclosed that the evacuation flight was facilitated by ValueJet chairman and chief executive Mr Kunle Soname.
Officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa accompanied the returnees on the flight home.
Speaking on behalf of NiDCOM chairman Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Onabowale commended President Tinubu for approving the exercise and noted that challenges encountered during the first phase were being addressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has assured that all registered Nigerians willing to return from South Africa will be evacuated.
A number of support packages were announced for the returnees. Imo State indigenes among the evacuees are to receive N1 million each from Governor Hope Uzodimma, while MTN Nigeria provided free SIM cards and N50,000 worth of data to each returnee.
An additional N100,000 was credited to each returnee’s bank account, and Pastor Bolaji Idowu, founder of Harvesters International Christian Centre, donated a further N100,000 to each evacuee.
The returnees expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, Mr Soname, acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa Ambassador Temitope Ajayi, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa, and other individuals who supported the exercise.
Officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and various security agencies were on hand at the airport to receive and document the returnees.
