The Federal Government has evacuated another 66 Nigerians from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks, bringing the total number of citizens returned under the ongoing rescue operation to 324.
The second batch of evacuees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Wednesday night as part of an evacuation exercise approved by President Bola Tinubu in response to the latest wave of anti-foreigner violence in South Africa.
The latest evacuation follows the return of 258 Nigerians on June 11 aboard a chartered Air Peace flight.
Speaking in Lagos, the Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dipo Onabowale, said the operation was facilitated by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ValueJet, Kunle Soname, with support from officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa.
Onabowale, who represented NiDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended President Tinubu for approving the evacuation and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad.
He noted that logistical challenges encountered during the first phase of the exercise were being addressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to him, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has assured that all registered Nigerians willing to return home from South Africa will be evacuated.
