Second batch of evacuated Nigerians arrive from South Africa
The second batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa has arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos as part of the Federal Government’s ongoing repatriation exercise following recent xenophobic attacks in the country.
A total of 66 returnees landed in Lagos on Wednesday night, weeks after the first group of 258 evacuees arrived aboard a chartered Air Peace flight on June 11.
The evacuation was facilitated by ValueJet Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kunle Soname, with officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa accompanying the returnees.
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the commission’s Lagos representative, Dipo Onabowale, commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the evacuation exercise. He noted that challenges experienced during the first phase were being addressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Onabowale also disclosed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, had assured that all registered Nigerians wishing to return from South Africa would be evacuated.
To support the returnees, NiDCOM announced several intervention packages. Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma donated N1 million each to returnees from the state, while MTN Nigeria provided free SIM cards, N50,000 worth of data, and N100,000 cash support to each evacuee. Founder of Harvesters International Christian Centre, Bolaji Idowu, also donated N100,000 to each returnee.
The evacuees expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for facilitating their return, while also thanking Soname, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa Temitope Ajayi, NiDCOM, and other donors for their support.
Officials of several agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, were present at the airport to receive and document the returnees.
