The Federal Government says Nigerians in South Africa who have indicated willingness to return home will be evacuated before the June 30 deadline.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu gave the assurance in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze.
This is a follow-up to Nigeria’s earlier evacuation moves, which NaijaTrend reported here.
Vanguard and Guardian reported that the first batch of 258 Nigerians had already been airlifted from South Africa and received at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on June 11.
The reports said about 1,000 Nigerians had registered for evacuation, with more than 742 still expected in subsequent batches.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the Tinubu administration remained committed to the safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad.
She said no citizen who had expressed interest in returning from South Africa would be left behind.
The latest assurance follows renewed concern over anti-migrant attacks and threats affecting Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
Because the evacuation process has been reported in stages, the fresh angle is the government’s June 30 completion pledge rather than the start of the exercise.
Sources: Vanguard, Guardian
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