Eighty-three Nigerians evacuated from South Africa have returned to the country amid renewed concerns over xenophobic attacks and hostility towards African migrants in the country.
The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday night aboard a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg.
They were accompanied on the journey by two officials of the Consulate-General of Nigeria in Johannesburg.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday night.
Ebienfa said the latest repatriation was made possible through the financial support of private individuals who provided the funds needed to secure flight tickets for the returnees.
“The repatriation exercise of this batch of returnees was facilitated through the procurement of flight tickets by good-spirited private individuals, whose generous support enabled their safe return to Nigeria,” he informed.
The returnees were received at the airport by the Director of the African Affairs Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe, who welcomed them on behalf of the Federal Government.
Following their arrival, the returnees were handed over to relevant government agencies for documentation and profiling before arrangements for their reunification with their families.
The ministry reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians living abroad and facilitating the safe return of citizens affected by emergencies in foreign countries.
Ebienfa also expressed the government’s appreciation to the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa, the private sponsors who supported the evacuation and the government agencies involved in receiving and assisting the returnees.
The ministry said the collaboration among the various stakeholders was essential to ensuring that the returnees were properly received and supported as they begin the process of reintegration into their communities.