The federal government says it has facilitated the return of 33 Nigerians from South Africa, bringing the total number of citizens evacuated from the former apartheid country since June to 1,716.
In a statement on Thursday, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, spokesperson for the federal ministry of foreign affairs, said the returnees were the 12th batch evacuated from South Africa since the exercise began on June 10.
Adeniyi said the returnees were received by officials of the ministry, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and other government agencies.
According to the ministry’s spokesperson, the federal government fully funded the evacuation of 1,388, representing approximately 81 percent of the total number of Nigerians brought home under the exercise.
“The Federal Government expresses its profound appreciation to the Private Nigerian Group of Business Friends (PNGBF) and Nigerian Lawyers Association in South Africa (NLASA) for their generous support in sponsoring the air tickets of distressed Nigerians in this latest batch,” the statement reads.
“This commendable intervention underscores the importance of collaboration among the government, Nigerian community associations and other stakeholders in safeguarding the well-being of Nigerians in the diaspora.”
Adeniyi further said the intervention by the groups “underscores the importance of collaboration among the government, Nigerian community associations and other stakeholders in safeguarding the well-being of Nigerians in the diaspora.”
He said the federal government remains concerned about “persistent xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks” against Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.
Adeniyi said the issue has been formally brought before the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union (AU) leadership.
He said the federal government is considering further measures to secure the cooperation of South African authorities in addressing xenophobia and Afrophobia and protecting Nigerians residing in the country.
“The federal government assures Nigerians in the diaspora that protecting their lives, rights, welfare, and dignity remains a priority, and that it will always deploy appropriate consular and diplomatic measures whenever circumstances warrant,” he added.
He urged Nigerians living in South Africa to remain vigilant and maintain contact with the Nigeria high commission in Pretoria and the consulate general of Nigeria in Johannesburg for consular assistance.
He said the latest return is part of the federal government’s ongoing efforts to assist Nigerians affected by security concerns in South Africa.
