Following increased threat to lives and properties of Nigerians in South Africa, the Federal Government has scheduled Wednesday for evacuation of its citizens from the country.
According to a statement issued by the Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the exercise initially scheduled for Monday had been rescheduled due to logistics problems.
Over 500 persons who indicated interest to be evacuated back home had been screened and cleared. President Tinubu had also approved 5 evacuation flights that will be operated by Air Peace.
The first flight which will airlift about 270 passengers is expected to leave Johannesburg on Wednesday if the necessary permits and clearance are secured for the aircraft.
In April and May 2026, a citizen-led movement, March and March, that advocates more stringent immigration enforcement in South Africa organized demonstrations against undocumented migrants in major cities including Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Durban, with violent and sometimes fatal results.
They subsequently gave migrants the deadline of June 30 to leave the country. The first flight carrying nearly 300 Ghanaians departed from OR Tambo International Airport on May 27, 2026, followed by a second large batch (over 700 evacuees) in early June.
Nigeria, Malawi and Mozambique are also making the necessary plans to evacuate their citizens too.
