The Federal Government has successfully evacuated another batch of 282 Nigerians stranded in South Africa in the ongoing xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals.
The fourth evacuation flight operated by Air Peace airline departed Oliver Tambo International Airport at 2.50 pm South African time. It arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (Cargo terminal) at 7:30 pm Nigerian time on Thursday, July 9.
According to a statement by the Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the aircraft carried a total of 284 nationals, comprising 272 adults and 12 infants, along with the airline crew and Nigerian officials.
The evacuation exercise had experienced a brief delay after engineers detected cracks on the cockpit windscreen of the aircraft initially assigned for the operation during pre-flight safety checks in Johannesburg. However, a replacement aircraft was immediately deployed by Air Peace, ensuring the evacuation proceeded with minimal disruption.
The latest batch marks the fourth evacuation since the fresh wave of xenophobic attacks on African migrants in South Africa started.
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In three separate operations done earlier in June, 595 stranded Nigerians were safely evacuated, with the latest one bringing the total to 875 in the last one month.
In the first batch of the evacuation, 258 Nigerians were conveyed home in a flight operated by Air Peace airline on June 11. The second batch of 66 Nigerians was brought home by a South African Airways flight on June 24. The third batch saw the arrival of 269 Nigerians on another flight operated by Air Peace on Tuesday, June 30, from Johannesburg.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said that after the earlier operations, President Bola Tinubu extended the evacuations beyond the June 30 deadline to ensure that no Nigerian willing to go home is left behind.
The Minister urged Nigerians in South Africa who consider their lives at risk to take advantage of the Federal Government-sponsored evacuation flights to be brought home, warning that there are no signs that the situation is improving.
Two Nigerians – Musa Yunana Joe and Charles Iroegbu- were killed in South Africa on June 28.
While Yunana Joe was killed by suspected criminals on 28th June, 2026, in Witbank, Mpumalanga, Iroegbu was allegedly killed by some officers of the Tshwane Metro Police on 28th June, 2026, in Sunnyside, Pretoria.
The Federal Government has condemned the act and called on South African authorities to investigate the incidents and ensure that those behind the killings are adequately punished.
In a statement on Thursday, the minister said: “Nigeria remains committed to providing a pathway to safety for its citizens who consider themselves and their families at risk by remaining in South Africa as a result of the anti-migrant protests and incidents which have engulfed the country.”
Victor Ezeja is a Nigerian journalist skilled in producing insightful news analyses, feature stories, and interviews that simplify complex issues and drive informed public discourse. His work combines rigorous research, balanced reporting, and compelling storytelling to highlight developments shaping industries and society. Victor, who holds a Master's Degree in Mass Communication, specializes in energy, aviation, business, and economic reporting. He can be reached via @VICTOREZEJA on X