The first batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa following the recent wave of xenophobic attacks has arrived safely in Lagos.
A total of 268 returnees landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Thursday at about 10:30 a.m. aboard an Air Peace flight.
The evacuation flight was originally expected to depart on Monday but was postponed until Wednesday because of delays in processing the necessary travel documents.
Reports indicate that more than 1,000 Nigerians have registered their interest in returning home from South Africa.
Earlier in the week, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the number of people requesting evacuation continued to rise.
She explained that Nigeria’s High Commission in Pretoria had reached an agreement with South African authorities to allow Nigerians with immigration-related issues to leave the country on the evacuation flights instead of being detained.
The registration and screening of Nigerians seeking repatriation started last Thursday and was initially expected to end on Saturday.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs later announced that the exercise had been extended until Sunday to enable more Nigerians to participate.
“This underscores the priority accorded to the protection of Nigerian citizens overseas, which remains a central pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy and a core responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the statement reads.
The ministry also stated that the Federal Government, working through relevant ministries, departments and agencies, has put measures in place to receive, document and provide the necessary support for the returning citizens.
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