Another 114 Nigerians have returned from South Africa under an ongoing consular evacuation programme, with the Redeemed Christian Church of God funding their one-way tickets through its donation to the exercise.
The group arrived in Lagos at about 8.30pm on Thursday, 22 October, aboard South African Airways flight SA060. They comprised 57 men, 23 women and 34 children, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ministry spokesperson Oluwafemi Adeniyi said officials from Foreign Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigeria Immigration Service and other federal agencies received the returnees at the airport.
The ministry’s announcement was issued on Friday, 23 October, a day after the passengers arrived in Lagos.
The ministry described the flight as the sixteenth consular evacuation since the programme began on 10 June. It put the cumulative number of Nigerians brought back from South Africa through the exercise at 2,151.
The latest operation comes amid Nigerian government concerns about xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa. In its statement, the ministry again condemned violence targeting Nigerians and other foreigners and called for protection irrespective of nationality.
Adeniyi said the government would continue engaging South African authorities and other stakeholders over the safety and welfare of Nigerians living in the country. He also called for those responsible for attacks to be held accountable.
The latest tickets were purchased from RCCG’s $265,854 donation towards the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians. With this arrival, the ministry said the church had funded the return of 432 people.
That figure concerns the church-supported part of the operation. The ministry separately reported that the Federal Government had fully funded the evacuation of 1,388 Nigerians across the wider programme. Those figures should not be read as the cost or passenger breakdown of the latest flight alone.
The church’s support had already financed earlier journeys. When the ministry announced the arrival of 105 returnees in September, it said the donation had covered tickets for 100 of them. A private Nigerian citizen paid for the remaining five.
That earlier arrival was described as the thirteenth evacuation and brought the cumulative number of returnees to 1,821. The ministry’s September announcement likewise put the government-funded total at 1,388.
Another batch of 111 Nigerians was reported on 11 October. The ministry said that journey was fully financed from the same RCCG donation. The different batches form part of the continuing programme, rather than separate announcements of the same passengers.
The latest statement does not provide individual accounts from those returning, identify their previous places of residence or describe attacks experienced by particular passengers. It also does not set out a timetable for another flight or details of longer-term resettlement assistance.
The ministry thanked RCCG, led by Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, for its financial contribution to the operation. It advised Nigerians remaining in South Africa to observe local laws, remain vigilant and prioritise their safety.
Nigerians needing consular assistance were urged to maintain contact with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and the Consulate General in Johannesburg.
Archive airline illustration: Abeinspace, 31 October 2019, CC BY-SA 4.0. Archive airline illustration, not the evacuation flight, its aircraft type or passengers. Source, licence. Cropped/resized. Photographic adaptation under CC BY-SA 4.0; Podium brand marks retain their rights.
