Fifty children are among 105 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa in the latest batch brought home amid ongoing concerns over xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in the country.
The latest returnees, who arrived in Lagos on Friday, comprised 26 men, 29 women and 50 children, according to an update by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They arrived aboard South African Airways flight SA060 at approximately 8:30pm and were received by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant government agencies.
The latest arrival brings the total number of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa since the exercise began on June 10, 2026, to 1,926, the ministry said.
The latest batch was funded from the $265,854 donation by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) towards the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa.
With the arrival of the 105 returnees, the ministry said 207 Nigerians have so far had their one-way tickets funded by RCCG.
Of those, 100 arrived in Nigeria on September 24, while two others arrived on September 25 after administrative issues prevented them from travelling with the first group.
Evacuation Continues
The latest exercise is the 14th consular evacuation from South Africa since the repatriation programme began.
The Federal Government has fully funded the evacuation of 1,388 Nigerians, while organisations, groups and individuals have provided additional support.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed particular appreciation to RCCG, under the leadership of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, for its financial contribution to the evacuation programme.
The Nigeria High Commission in Pretoria and the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg are continuing engagements with RCCG leadership in South Africa and other philanthropic organisations on further evacuations.
The ministry said more Nigerians were undergoing the required pre-evacuation verification and clearance processes with relevant South African authorities and would be evacuated once the processes were completed.
Government Reaffirms Protection
The Federal Government said it remained committed to working with South African authorities and other stakeholders to address xenophobic and Afrophobic violence and ensure the safety, security and dignity of Nigerians resident in the country.
It urged Nigerians in South Africa to remain vigilant, law-abiding and security-conscious and to maintain regular contact with Nigeria’s diplomatic missions in Pretoria and Johannesburg for consular assistance.
The government said the protection of the lives, rights, welfare and dignity of Nigerians in the diaspora remained a priority.
