FG plans to evacuate 700 more Nigerians from South Africa

The Federal Government has announced plans to evacuate another 700 stranded Nigerians from South Africa as xenophobic attacks continue.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the returnees will be brought home on three additional flights, with the next batch of 271 Nigerians expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Friday, July 3.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the government has already evacuated 593 Nigerians, including 66 people whose flight tickets were paid for by a private citizen.

He said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to assure Nigerians that three additional flights will be operated in the next few days to ensure that all Nigerians who voluntarily registered to be evacuated and have been duly screened and cleared are brought back safely to the country.”

Ebienfa added, “The expected number in that regard is 700 Nigerians. The third batch of evacuation flights will arrive in Nigeria on Friday, 3 July 2026, carrying 271 returnees. The expected time of arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, is 5.30 am.”

Giving an update on the operation, he said the first evacuation flight brought back 258 Nigerians on 11 June, while another 66 arrived on June 25 through South African Airways after a Nigerian volunteer paid for their tickets. A further 269 returnees landed in Lagos on June 30, bringing the total number evacuated so far to 593.

According to him, the returnees were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, before being handed over to the relevant government agencies for documentation.

Ebienfa also dismissed reports that Nigerians were asked to pay before being included in the evacuation programme.

He said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to place on record that all the special evacuation flights are fully paid for by the Federal Government and at no cost to the returnees.”

Describing the allegations as false, he added, “That is totally false, fake news, and should be discarded.”

The spokesperson explained that some delays in the evacuation process were caused by logistical challenges.

Ebienfa stressed that protecting Nigerians abroad remains a key priority of the Federal Government, saying the ministry will continue working with other agencies to ensure citizens affected by crises overseas receive the support they need.