By Precious Mark
The final Federal Government-sponsored evacuation flight conveying Nigerian nationals back home from South Africa has arrived safely at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Wednesday.
The flight, operated by Air Peace, departed the Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, ending weeks of emergency repatriation efforts triggered by a recent wave of violent xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant protests targeting black migrants in the host country.
A total of 308 Nigerian nationals, accompanied by three government officials, made up the passenger manifest for this final flight, which landed successfully in Lagos.
This final batch brings the total number of Nigerians successfully evacuated by the Federal Government throughout the emergency mission to over 1,500 nationals.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement released on Wednesday, expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his swift and decisive leadership in facilitating the rescue missions.
“His decisive leadership and compassionate intervention in facilitating the successful airlift and safe return of Nigerians stranded in South Africa imperiled by the spate of xenophobic incidents no doubt saved many precious lives which could have been lost if not for this timely action,” the Ministry stated.
The federal government had initially faced a June 30 deadline issued by radical anti-migrant groups in South Africa demanding that foreign nationals leave the country.
However, President Tinubu chose to extend the emergency evacuation window well past the deadline to ensure that any Nigerian wishing to return home could do so safely.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry noted that the extension of the evacuation timeline “speaks volumes about his unwavering commitment to the welfare of our nationals in crisis situations.”
“This swift response not only brought relief to the affected Nigerians and their families but also reaffirmed the confidence of our citizens in the readiness of their government to stand by them in times of distress,” the statement added.
The Ministry also praised the diplomatic staff in South Africa for their sleepless nights during the crisis, specifically commending the Acting High Commissioner of the Nigeria High Commission in Pretoria, Ambassador Alex Ajayi; the Consul-General in Johannesburg, Ambassador Nini Okey Uche; and the crew of Air Peace Airlines for their patriotism and professionalism.
While welcoming the returnees back, the Federal Government thanked the public for their patience and cooperation during the logistics-heavy exercise, officially declaring the emergency evacuation mission closed with a warm “Welcome Home” to the final batch of returnees.