The Federal Government has initiated the evacuation of Nigerian nationals from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants in that country. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, announced on Friday that the first group of evacuees is en route to Nigeria, acting on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's directive to safeguard the welfare and safety of Nigerian citizens abroad.
In a statement posted on her official X handle, the minister explained that the evacuation was ordered under the Citizen Diplomacy policy of the administration's Renewed Hope Agenda. This measure aims to protect Nigerians who consider their lives at risk due to the escalating attacks. According to her, the operation is being conducted by Air Peace Airlines and is fully funded by the Federal Government.
“The evacuation of imperiled Nigerian citizens who consider their lives at risk by continued stay in South Africa has been ordered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in line with the Citizen Diplomacy imperatives of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” she stated.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu disclosed that a total of 262 Nigerian nationals and three government officials are aboard the evacuation flight, in addition to the airline crew. She explained that the aircraft departed from O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Friday morning and is expected to arrive in Nigeria later in the day.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, is scheduled to receive the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that she would not be present to welcome the evacuees because she is currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she is finalizing arrangements for the transfer of more than 100 Nigerian prisoners serving sentences in Ethiopian correctional facilities back to Nigeria.
She revealed that the inmates are being held at Kaliti and Aba Samuel prisons in Addis Ababa, and efforts are underway to facilitate their return to complete the remainder of their jail terms in Nigeria. The minister expressed concern over the condition of the prisoners, disclosing that four Nigerians have already died while in custody due to health-related complications and other factors.
“We cannot afford to lose any more,” she said.
She further stated that the Federal Government has put in place adequate reception and support mechanisms for the returning evacuees, who she described as traumatized by their experiences in South Africa. According to her, relevant ministries, departments, and agencies have been mobilized to provide necessary assistance before the returnees are reunited with their families.
“It will be a highly emotionally charged atmosphere as our traumatized citizens being evacuated from South Africa arrive in their home country today. They have been through a great ordeal,” she said.
Addressing the returnees, Odumegwu-Ojukwu encouraged them to remain resilient despite the losses they may have suffered. “For every wound there is a scar, and every scar tells a story — a story that says, ‘I have survived.’ The price of your peace and the safety of your children is worth any sacrifices you have to make, or any assets you have to leave behind when fleeing a conflict zone or hate-infested environment. Survival is the noblest form of vengeance,” she stated.
She assured the evacuees that Nigeria is ready to receive and support them as they begin rebuilding their lives. “Your nation is waiting to embrace you with open arms. Welcome back to the Motherland,” the minister added.
