Nigeria’s evacuation of citizens caught in South Africa’s anti-migrant violence continued on Friday as another charter flight brought 268 returnees and two crew members safely to Lagos.
The flight landed at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, where Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu said the evacuation was still ongoing under President Bola Tinubu’s orders.
“a total of 268 returnees and two officers and crew” were on board the latest evacuation flight, she said.
According to her, the aircraft departed Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 5.36 a.m. and was operated by Air Peace under a special federal arrangement.
“The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has directed that the evacuation of Nigerian nationals from South Africa at risk as a result of the ongoing xenophobic protests and attacks continues, even after the deadline of 30th June 2026 issued by South African Anti-migrant groups and vigilantes.”
She added that three earlier batches, bringing home almost 600 Nigerians, had already been evacuated before the deadline set by anti-migrant groups in South Africa.
“The evacuations remain ongoing. The Federal Government is committed to bringing home safely our Nationals who voluntarily registered to be evacuated and have been duly screened and cleared.”
“Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in adherence to that unbreakable bond between citizen and state, remains dedicated to this mandate,” she said.
Violence Spreads In South Africa
The latest evacuation follows days of protests and violence in several South African cities, where demonstrators demanded that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country.
Police were deployed in large numbers as citizen-led groups, including March and March and Operation Dudula, pushed an unofficial June 30 deadline that triggered fresh tension and forced many migrants to flee.
In Johannesburg, there were reports of looting, stone-throwing and mob confrontations, while Durban and Cape Town also saw protests tied to anger over unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.
South African authorities said at least four people, including two Mozambicans, an Ethiopian and a Malawian, died in the latest violence.
Compensation Talks Begin
Nigeria has also started preparing claims for abandoned businesses and property, according to Acting High Commissioner Alexander Ajayi, who spoke on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
He said returnees were told to document everything they left behind so Nigeria could engage South African authorities on possible compensation.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry said the evacuations are fully funded by the Federal Government and that no returnee is being asked to pay for the flights.
It added that the first flight arrived in Lagos on June 11 with 258 Nigerians, the second on June 24 with 66 more, and the latest flight on June 30 with 269 returnees, bringing the total so far to 593.
Another flight carrying 271 Nigerians was expected on Friday, July 3, 2026, while the government said about 700 citizens had registered for evacuation in all.
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