The Federal Government has rescheduled the airlifting of the first batch of Nigerian citizens seeking to return from South Africa following the recent wave of xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in the country.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
According to Ebienfa, the evacuation flight initially scheduled for Monday has been postponed until Wednesday due to unforeseen logistical considerations.
He said President Bola Tinubu had approved five evacuation flights to be operated by Air Peace.
The first flight is expected to transport about 270 passengers from Johannesburg once all required permits and clearances have been secured.
Ebienfa also confirmed that the screening exercise for Nigerians who have indicated interest in returning home has been extended until Wednesday.
“I received confirmation from our mission in Pretoria that the screening exercise of Nigerian nationals who have indicated interest to be evacuated back home has been extended to Wednesday.
“So far, more than 500 persons have been screened and cleared,” he said.
The evacuation follows growing concerns over attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, prompting the Nigerian government to facilitate the voluntary return of affected citizens.
