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Another 111 distressed Nigerians, comprising 44 men, 23 women and 44 children, have been evacuated from South Africa.
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The latest flight raises the number of Nigerians evacuated under the ongoing exercise to 2,037 since June 10, 2026.
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RCCG funded the latest evacuation from its $265,854 donation to provide one-way tickets for 500 distressed Nigerians.
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FG says it will continue engaging South African authorities over xenophobia and Afrophobia while urging Nigerians to remain vigilant.
October 12, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has evacuated another 111 distressed Nigerians, including 44 children, from South Africa amid continuing concerns over xenophobia and Afrophobia in the country.
The latest evacuation brings to 2,037 the cumulative number of Nigerians repatriated from South Africa under the ongoing consular evacuation exercise, which began on June 10, 2026.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the latest batch arrived in Lagos aboard South African Airways (SAA) Flight SA060 on Thursday, October 8.
According to the Ministry, the returnees comprised 44 men, 23 women and 44 children.
They were received on arrival by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant Federal Government agencies.
The Ministry said the latest evacuation was fully funded by the $265,854 donated by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) to support the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa.
“The arrival of the returnees brings the total number of consular evacuations conducted from South Africa to fifteen (15) since the commencement of the ongoing evacuation exercise on 10 June 2026.
“It also raises the cumulative number of Nigerian nationals evacuated from the country to 2,037, of whom 1,388 had their repatriation cost fully covered by the Federal Government,” the statement said.
RCCG Funds Return Of 318 Nigerians
With the arrival of the latest batch, the Ministry said 318 Nigerians have now benefited from the RCCG-funded repatriation programme.
Another 182 Nigerians are expected to be evacuated under the church’s commitment to finance 500 one-way tickets.
“With the successful evacuation of this RCCG-funded batch, a total of 318 Nigerian nationals have had their one-way tickets funded by the Church. Therefore, 182 more nationals are expected to be repatriated under RCCG’s commitment to fund 500 one-way tickets,” the Ministry said.
The Federal Government expressed appreciation to the RCCG, under the leadership of its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, for supporting efforts to bring distressed Nigerians home.
“The Federal Government, once again, expresses its profound appreciation to the RCCG, under the leadership of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, for its generous financial support towards the evacuation of distressed Nigerians from South Africa,” the statement added.
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FG Engages South Africa Over Xenophobia
The Federal Government also reaffirmed its commitment to engaging South African authorities and other relevant stakeholders over xenophobia and Afrophobia, saying the safety, welfare and dignity of Nigerians living in the country remained a priority.
It advised Nigerians in South Africa to comply with local laws, remain vigilant and take appropriate precautions to protect themselves.
Nigerians requiring consular assistance were also urged to maintain contact with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and the Consulate General in Johannesburg.
“The Federal Government remains steadfast in its commitment to providing timely consular support to Nigerians in the diaspora and safeguarding their welfare and well-being,” the Ministry said.
Background
Nigeria and South Africa have repeatedly faced diplomatic tensions over attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants, particularly during outbreaks of xenophobic violence.
The issue has periodically prompted diplomatic protests from Abuja, emergency interventions and demands that South African authorities strengthen measures to protect Nigerians, their businesses and other foreign nationals.
The current evacuation exercise commenced on June 10, 2026, to provide consular assistance to distressed Nigerians seeking to return home.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, 15 evacuation operations have now been conducted, bringing 2,037 Nigerians home. The Federal Government has fully covered the repatriation costs of 1,388 returnees, while the RCCG has so far funded one-way tickets for 318 people.
With another 182 Nigerians expected to benefit from the RCCG intervention, the government said it would continue providing consular assistance while pursuing diplomatic engagement with South African authorities to address threats to the safety and welfare of Nigerians in the country.
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