RismadarVoice Reporters, June 30, 2026
More than 15,000 Nigerians willing to return home are reportedly still stranded in South Africa as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to evacuate citizens ahead of anti-immigration protests scheduled for June 30.
The latest evacuation exercise saw 271 Nigerians flown back to Lagos on Tuesday under the government’s voluntary repatriation programme.
However, a Nigerian resident in South Africa alleged that some officials handling the evacuation process were demanding money from applicants before adding their names to the repatriation list.
“I am tired. Some officials are asking people to pay before they can be included on the evacuation list. I have decided to buy my own ticket because I cannot wait any longer, but many others cannot afford to do the same,” the source claimed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the allegation, insisting that no official involved in the evacuation exercise was extorting Nigerians.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, reaffirmed that the evacuation programme remains transparent and would continue beyond the June 30 deadline to accommodate more Nigerians wishing to return home.
He confirmed that an Air Peace aircraft departed Nigeria on Monday and returned with 271 voluntary evacuees on Tuesday.
“The return flight brought back 271 additional Nigerians who volunteered to return home. Arrangements are also being made to evacuate about 700 more citizens, depending on the situation on the ground,” Ebienfa said.
Air Peace spokesperson Efe Osifo-Whiskey also confirmed the operation, noting that the evacuation flight experienced operational delays before eventually departing for South Africa.
The latest repatriation is part of the Federal Government’s emergency response following planned anti-immigrant demonstrations in South Africa.
Earlier this month, President Bola Tinubu approved five evacuation flights after more than 1,000 Nigerians registered for voluntary repatriation.
Before Tuesday’s exercise, 334 Nigerians had already returned in two previous batches. The first group of 268 arrived on June 11 aboard an Air Peace flight, while another 66, comprising mostly women and children considered vulnerable, returned on June 25 via ValueJet.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu assured Nigerians that evacuation flights would continue beyond the June 30 deadline until every citizen willing to return home had the opportunity to do so.
In a statement shared on her official X account, the minister said the Federal Government remained committed to protecting Nigerians abroad.
“The President has directed that evacuations continue even after the deadline to ensure that no Nigerian who wishes to return home is left behind,” she stated.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that the exercise is being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with Air Peace, while agencies including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) are responsible for receiving, documenting and profiling returnees upon arrival.
She reiterated that safeguarding Nigerians overseas remains a key component of the Federal Government’s citizen diplomacy policy.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Nigerians who choose to remain in South Africa to stay vigilant, avoid areas where protests are taking place and maintain regular contact with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria for updates.
The High Commission had earlier advised citizens to limit unnecessary movement and steer clear of protest venues following intelligence reports of demonstrations targeting foreign nationals.
The Federal Government also said it was working closely with South African authorities to ensure the safety of Nigerians residing in the country.
The evacuation efforts coincided with reports of the killing of a Nigerian businessman popularly known as “Big Joe” in Witbank (Emalahleni), Mpumalanga Province.
According to eyewitnesses, the businessman was shot by unidentified gunmen outside his shop shortly after opening for business.
President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Smart Nwobi, confirmed the incident as well as the death of another Nigerian, alleging that xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals remain a major concern.
He claimed that one Nigerian was allegedly killed during an encounter with local law enforcement officers, while the businessman in Witbank was shot by suspected local assailants.
