The evacuees arrived in Nigeria on Thursday night through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, marking the second batch of Nigerians brought home under the ongoing evacuation exercise approved by President Bola Tinubu.
Their arrival comes weeks after the first batch of 258 Nigerians returned on June 11 aboard a chartered Air Peace flight.
The latest evacuation is part of the Federal Government’s emergency response to renewed xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa, particularly African migrants.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that the 66 returnees were successfully evacuated in the second phase of the operation.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) also confirmed the development, stating that the evacuation exercise remains ongoing as authorities work to ensure that all registered Nigerians willing to return home are safely repatriated.
The return flight was facilitated by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ValueJet, Kunle Soname, while officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa accompanied the evacuees back to Nigeria.
Speaking after the arrival of the returnees, the Head of NiDCOM’s Lagos Office, Dipo Onabowale, commended the Federal Government for its swift intervention.
He said the evacuation followed President Tinubu’s approval and noted that concerns raised during the first phase of the exercise were already being addressed by the relevant authorities.
According to Onabowale, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has continued to coordinate the evacuation to ensure a seamless process for Nigerians stranded in South Africa.
Authorities also assured affected citizens that no Nigerian who registered for evacuation would be left behind.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has equally assured that every Nigerian who has indicated an interest in returning home will be accommodated in the evacuation programme.
To support the returnees’ reintegration, several intervention packages have been announced.
NiDCOM disclosed that evacuees from Imo State would receive ₦1 million each from Governor Hope Uzodimma.
MTN Nigeria also provided each returnee with a free SIM card, data worth ₦50,000, and ₦100,000 credited to their individual bank accounts.
In addition, the Founder of Harvesters International Christian Centre, Pastor Bolaji Idowu, donated ₦100,000 to each evacuee as part of the support initiative.
Several of the returnees expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and other government officials for facilitating their safe return. They also commended the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Temitope Ajayi, NiDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and others who contributed to the success of the evacuation exercise.
Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the Nigeria Immigration Servic