By Idriss LAWAL
In five weeks, a staggering 1,531 NIgerian citizens living in South Africa have found their way back home since the anti-migrant campaign heightened this year.
The airlifting had kicked off on June 11, 2026.
Out of this figure, 1,426 were evacuated by the Federal Government with the last evacuation flight from South Africa scheduled to arrive Wednesday after initial delay.
This is besides the 66 people who were evacuated by a private individual and another 39 people on the arrangement of Air Peace aircraft.
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An update by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said the Air Peace flight is expected to depart Johannesburg with 315 returnees in the early hours of today and arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The evacuation was in response to a distress call by stranded Nigerians in South Africa following the nationwide protests by the March and March members who urged their government to expel all foreign nationals from South Africa, especially fellow Africans.
Providing the latest update in a terse statement, Ebienfa stated: “The last and fifth evacuation flight from South Africa operated by Air Peace is expected to depart Johannesburg with 315 returnees on Wednesday July 15, 2026 at 1.30 a.m. and the estimated time of arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos is 6.30 a.m.”
The planned evacuation was confirmed by the President of Nigerian Citizens in South Africa, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu.
