The Federal Government has concluded plans to evacuate 271 Nigerians stranded in South Africa amid rising concerns over possible xenophobic attacks targeting undocumented foreign nationals.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an Air Peace aircraft is scheduled to depart Nigeria on Monday, June 29, at 3:00 p.m. for the evacuation exercise.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said the aircraft is expected to arrive in South Africa at about 9:00 p.m. local time before departing at midnight for Nigeria.
The return flight is scheduled to land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Tuesday morning with 271 evacuees on board.
“The return flight is scheduled to depart South Africa at 12:00 midnight and is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday morning. The expected number is 271,” Ebienfa said.
The evacuation follows heightened tensions in South Africa after anti-immigration vigilante groups reportedly issued a June 30 deadline demanding that undocumented foreign nationals, particularly black Africans, leave the country.
The threats have raised fears of possible xenophobic violence, prompting several African countries to begin evacuating their citizens from South Africa.
Although South African authorities have condemned the threats and deployed security personnel, including police and military forces, to strengthen security across the country, the Nigerian government said it is proceeding with the evacuation as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of its citizens.
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