The second batch of over 100 Nigerians repatriated from South Africa has arrived safely at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos State.
The arrival marks the continuation of the emergency repatriation exercise coordinated by the Federal Government of Nigeria in response to a volatile wave of anti-immigrant unrest and xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals across South Africa.
The second batch of the repatriated Nigerians was brought home via a special South African Airways (SAA) Airbus A330-300 chartered flight.
The latest group consists of a total of 66 individuals which includes adult men, women, children, and minors.
It was gathered that the aircraft departed from O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at approximately 3:45 PM (South African time) and touched down in Lagos at 9:00 PM.
On June 11, the first batch of evacuees arrived in the country aboard a chartered Air Peace flight.
Dipo Onabowale, head of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in Lagos, said the latest evacuation was facilitated by Kunle Soname, chairman and chief executive officer of ValueJet, with officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa accompanying the returnees.
Onabowale, who spoke on behalf of Abike Dabiri-Erewa, NiDCOM chairman, commended Tinubu for approving the evacuation.
Onabowale said logistical challenges encountered during the first evacuation exercise are being addressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He added that Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of foreign affairs, has assured that all registered Nigerians in South Africa would be evacuated.
NiDCOM also announced support packages for the returnees, with indigenes of Imo state receiving N1 million each from Hope Uzodimma, governor of the state.
The commission added that MTN Nigeria provided free SIM cards, data worth N50,000, and credited N100,000 to each returnee’s bank account.
Bolaji Idowu, founder of Harvesters International Christian Centre, also donated N100,000 to each of the evacuees.
The evacuees expressed appreciation to Tinubu for approving the exercise and facilitating their return.
They also thanked Soname for supporting the evacuation, Temitope Ajayi, acting Nigerian high commissioner to South Africa; and Dabiri-Erewa, NiDCOM chairman; alongside the donors.
Security agencies at the airport to receive and document the returnees included officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), among others.
