Federal Government has received the fourth batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa, with the Air Peace flight landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos as the voluntary repatriation exercise continues.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the final batch of returnees is expected to arrive next week.
According to Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the ministry, the aircraft conveyed 284 passengers, comprising 272 adults and 12 infants, alongside two government officials overseeing the evacuation process.
The flight had initially been delayed after engineers detected cracks in the cockpit windscreen of the aircraft originally scheduled for the operation, prompting Air Peace to deploy a replacement plane.
The evacuation is part of the Federal Government’s response to the recent wave of xenophobic attacks and growing insecurity targeting foreign nationals in South Africa.
Authorities extended the exercise beyond the initial June 30 deadline to allow more Nigerians who registered for voluntary return to be brought home safely.
The ministry said arrangements have been concluded for the last evacuation flight, which is scheduled to arrive next week, bringing the repatriation programme to a close.
It added that the returnees will continue to receive documentation, profiling and other necessary support upon arrival in Nigeria.
