4th batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa

Photo credit: Kanyi Daily News

The fourth batch of 266 to 271 evacuated Nigerian citizens safely arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Friday morning, 3 July 2026. This latest government-funded flight brings the total number of repatriated Nigerians to 859 citizens as the voluntary evacuation program continues.

The Reason: Over 1,000 Nigerians registered to leave South Africa due to growing fears for their safety following intense anti-immigrant protests and intimidation by local anti-migrant groups. This followed an unofficial 30 June deadline given by some local activist groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave.

The returnees were flown out of Johannesburg on an Air Peace charter flight. The Nigerian government stressed that the evacuation is completely free of charge, dismissing false rumours that officials were demanding bribes to get names on the manifest.

Upon arrival in Lagos, officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) received the citizens. They are being provided with medical checks, temporary accommodation, profiling, and assistance to help them safely reunite with their families and restart their lives back home

The Nigerian government, under President Bola Tinubu, has been executing these flights in waves to safely remove everyone who voluntarily requested help:

1st Batch: Arrived 11 June 2026 (268 people via Air Peace).

2nd Batch: Arrived 24 June 2026 (66 people via South African Airways, supported by a private donor).

3rd Batch: Arrived 30 June 2026 (269 people via Air Peace).

4th Batch: Arrived 3 July 2026 (266–271 people via Air Peace).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that at least three more flights are scheduled over the coming days to bring home the remaining registered and cleared citizens. Nigeria is not alone in this effort, as other nations like Ghana, Malawi, and Zimbabwe have also been repatriating thousands of their citizens due to the recent unrest.

If you are tracking these updates for a specific reason, let me know. I can give you details on the upcoming flight schedules, help you find the official NiDCOM contact channels for stranded relatives, or share information on reintegration packages available for returnees.

By Olagunju, Success Taiwo