The fourth batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa have arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on an Air Peace flight.
The trip, flown using a Boeing 777-200 aircraft, took off from Johannesburg at around 1:50 p.m. Nigerian time and landed in Lagos at around 8:15 p.m. on Thursday.
Among those on board were 282 returnees and two Nigerian authorities who had escorted them from South Africa.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, had already declared the exit of the returnees.
She said: “The fourth evacuation flight, bringing home our nationals from South Africa after ongoing xenophobic protests and attacks in that country, departed Oliver Tambo International Airport today, 09 July 2026 at 2:50 pm South African time.”
An Air Peace aircraft which was initially supposed to evacuate the batch could not operate after its windscreen apparently smashed in Johannesburg, she said. “Air Peace immediately sent in a replacement aircraft for this operation,” she said.
Representatives of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, National Emergency Management Agency, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Nigeria Immigration Service and delegations from the Edo and Imo State governments received the returnees.
The Southwest Zonal Coordinator of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Alex Oturu, said every returnee will get a SIM card and airtime of N50,000 from MTN.
He disclosed that each evacuee would also be provided with a Moniepoint account through which they would receive N100,000 as urgent financial support.
“We are working with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, the National Directorate of Employment, the Industrial Training Fund and other government agencies to ensure that each returnee is absorbed into a specific reintegration programme,” Oturu added.
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Head of Legal Services, Dipo Odebowale, said the evacuation was approved by President Bola Tinubu.
“This is an initiative of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who kindly gave his approval for the return of our stranded compatriots from South Africa. We are going to continue till all are returned home,” Odebowale said.
The returns were escorted by the Deputy Consul-General at the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg, Daniel Onoriode Babagba, who said the evacuation had become imperative since many Nigerians had endured attacks, damage of businesses and increased insecurity.
“It’s really on the high side. “Our people have been attacked, their shops looted and their businesses destroyed,” he said.
He said Nigerian officials had formally asked the South African government for compensation for Nigerians whose properties were destroyed in the attacks.
“The official records show that the violence killed at least two Nigerians and injured many others,” he said.
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