No fewer than 700 stranded Nigerians are expected to be evacuated from South Africa, Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa disclosed on Thursday.

Ebienfa said they will be conveyed in three batches, with the next scheduled flight carrying 271.

The flight, he said, will arrive in the country on Friday, 3rd July 2026.

In an update on the evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa, Ebienfa said the government has evacuated 593 so far, including 66 facilitated by a private individual.

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.

“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 Mohamed International Airport, Lagos, is 5.30 am.”

He said so far, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has successfully facilitated the evacuation of 593 Nigerian nationals from South Africa who were affected by the ongoing xenophobic protests. The first batch arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, via a special flight operated by Air Peace on the 11th of June, 2026, with 258 returnees. A good-spirited Nigerian voluntarily offered to pay the flight tickets for 66 of them, and they arrived in Lagos on the 24th of June with South African Airways. The second evacuation flight arrived on Tuesday, 30th June 2026, with 269 returnees, and that makes up the cumulative figure of 593 returnees so far.”

He added that they were received by the Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, on behalf of the Federal Government, before being handed over to the relevant MDAs for documentation and profiling.

He also clarified that the special evacuation flights are fully paid for by the Federal Government.

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. This clarification is necessitated by insinuations and false allegations that some staff of the Nigerian Mission were requesting money before enlisting our nationals for the evacuation flights. That is totally false, fake news, and should be discarded.”

The Spokesperson also blamed logistical challenges for the delay experienced in airlifting the remaining Nigerians.

According to him, “The Ministry encountered some logistical delays in operating the second flight, and as a result, some of our nationals were temporarily accommodated at the High Commission in Pretoria and cared for by the Mission.”

He added, “The Ministry appreciates the very positive coordination and collaboration with relevant MDAs in making this process a success, and we will continue to work together for the good of our country. The evacuation process clearly underscores the priority accorded to the protection of Nigerian citizens overseas, which remains a central pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy and a core responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also reflects the Government’s determination to ensure that Nigerians affected by crises abroad receive the necessary support, dignity, and care. The lives of Nigerians living abroad matter, and we are trying our best as a Ministry to give them a sense of belonging.” (The Nation)

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