Officials receive the second batch of Nigerian returnees from South Africa at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Another 271 Nigerians have returned from South Africa under the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme, bringing the total number of evacuees to 599.
The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday aboard an Air Peace flight from Johannesburg.
Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission received the evacuees on arrival.
The evacuation forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to assist Nigerians who have chosen to return home amid growing anti-immigration tensions in South Africa.
The exercise comes ahead of a reported June 30 deadline issued by some vigilante groups and organisations calling on undocumented migrants to leave the country.
President Bola Tinubu earlier approved the voluntary evacuation programme after more than 500 Nigerians registered for repatriation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also approved five Air Peace flights to support the operation.
Before Tuesday’s flight, 328 Nigerians had returned in two batches, with 262 arriving on June 11 and another 66 on June 25.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said preparations are ongoing to evacuate about 700 more Nigerians, subject to developments in South Africa.
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