Another batch of repatriated Nigerians from Johannesburg, South Africa, has arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
The flight landed at 10:48am on Tuesday with 269 returnees.
The March and March groups in South Africa had issued a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
It is the second batch of repatriated Nigerians officially evacuated by the Nigerian government, though a separate group of 66 returnees arrived on June 24.
A foreign ministry spokesman, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the June 24 flight was facilitated by “a good-spirited Nigerian”.
Dipo Onabowale, head of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in Lagos, named the facilitator as Kunle Soname, chairman and chief executive officer of ValueJet.
The first batch of 258 evacuees arrived in the country aboard a chartered Air Peace flight on June 11.
The latest returnees were escorted by officials of the Nigerian mission in South Africa and were received at the airport by senior officials of the foreign ministry led by Haruna Ali-Gombe, director, African affairs department.
Nigeria`s foreign affairs ministry said government had paid for five repatriation flights. So far, there have only been two official flights, asides the June 24 flight.
A statement issued by Ebienfa said the evacuation process is still on course and more flights are expected in the country in the next few days to evacuate all Nigerians that have been screened and cleared to voluntarily return to the country.
He said the federal government will continue to engage South African authorities at the highest levels to ensure the protection of Nigerian nationals living in the country.
The Cable
