The Air Peace flight departed OR Tambo International Airport at 6:30 AM South African time and landed in Lagos at 11:30 AM after a five-hour departure delay.
The aircraft carried 308 people in total, including the 305 evacuated citizens and three government officials overseeing the process.
The emergency evacuation was initiated under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's "Renewed Hope Agenda" in response to escalating xenophobic attacks, anti-immigration protests, and security threats against foreign nationals. Tensions spiked heavily ahead of a June departure deadline enforced by local anti-migrant vigilante groups.
Upon arrival, the returnees were met by a multi-agency government team, including the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) led by Chairperson Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
Returnees underwent medical screening and documentation. They were provided with temporary stipends and food packs containing essentials like rice, beans, and oil.
Many of the returnees had to abandon homes, legal businesses, and investments to escape the violence. NiDCOM has urged Nigerian state governments to step up with long-term rehabilitation and reintegration structures.
The Nigerian government is actively gathering documented evidence of the property and assets left behind by its citizens to pursue formal compensation claims through diplomatic channels with South Africa.
By Olagunju Success Taiwo
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