FG orders new South Africa evacuation flight after two Nigerians killed
The federal government announced another evacuation flight will leave South Africa for Johannesburg on Tuesday, July 7, to bring home Nigerians facing renewed xenophobic attacks. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu‑Ojukwu made the announcement on her X account Monday morning, noting that four batches of citizens have already returned since the operation began last month. She said the last flight of the current evacuation is expected to arrive in South Africa on July 10, and that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has extended the evacuation beyond the June 30 deadline, with the fourth flight having arrived in Nigeria on July 3. The minister urged Nigerians in South Africa who feel unsafe to take advantage of the government‑sponsored flights, while condemning the killing of two nationals and calling on South African authorities to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice. She advised nationals to weigh the risks of staying versus returning and to use the full capacity of the aircraft. Nigerians wishing to evacuate should monitor official channels for registration details and departure times.