Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal Government has concluded arrangements for the final evacuation of stranded Nigerians from South Africa, with 315 returnees expected to arrive in Lagos on Wednesday aboard an Air Peace flight, bringing to a close the emergency repatriation exercise launched in response to recent xenophobic attacks and security concerns in parts of the country.
The final evacuation flight is scheduled to depart Johannesburg at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, and is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 6:30 a.m. The Air Peace-operated flight marks the conclusion of the Federal Government's evacuation of Nigerians who indicated interest in returning home following the recent wave of xenophobic violence and insecurity in parts of South Africa.
The government had earlier conducted four evacuation flights, bringing home hundreds of Nigerians as part of efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of its citizens abroad. With the arrival of the final batch, the federal government will have evacuated a total of 1,456 Nigerians from South Africa since the exercise began on 11 June 2026. The figure comprises 1,141 people evacuated through previous government-coordinated flights, 315 passengers on the final flight, as well as 66 Nigerians evacuated by a private individual and another 39 transported through a separate Air Peace arrangement.
The evacuation followed distress calls from Nigerians stranded in South Africa amid nationwide protests led by the March and March group, which had been demanding the expulsion of foreign nationals, particularly Africans, from the country. The president of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa confirmed the planned evacuation, stating that the affected Nigerians had been notified and directed to assemble at the Nigerian High Commission in Johannesburg ahead of their departure.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to protecting Nigerians wherever they may be and expressed appreciation to Air Peace and all agencies and stakeholders involved in the evacuation exercise. With the arrival of the final batch, the government's emergency airlift programme comes to a close, ending weeks of coordinated efforts to bring home Nigerians displaced by the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
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