The Federal Government has reaffirmed that all special evacuation flights bringing Nigerians home from South Africa are fully funded by the government, stressing that no returnee is required to pay for the service.
The clarification was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to reports alleging that officials at the Nigerian Mission in South Africa demanded payment from citizens before including them on evacuation lists. The ministry dismissed the claims as false and urged the public to disregard them.
In a statement issued by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the government explained that the first evacuation flight, operated by Air Peace, landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on June 11, 2026, carrying 258 Nigerians. The returnees were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, and handed over to relevant government agencies for documentation and profiling.
The ministry said logistical challenges delayed the second evacuation exercise, leading to some stranded Nigerians being temporarily housed and catered for at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.
It added that a Nigerian philanthropist voluntarily paid for the tickets of 66 evacuees, who later returned to Lagos aboard a South African Airways flight on June 24.
Another evacuation flight arrived on June 30 with 269 Nigerians, bringing the total number of citizens repatriated from South Africa so far to 593.
According to the ministry, three additional evacuation flights have been scheduled to transport the remaining Nigerians who voluntarily registered for the exercise and have completed the necessary screening process.
The next batch, consisting of 271 evacuees, is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, by 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026. In total, about 700 Nigerians are expected to benefit from the remaining flights.
Reiterating its position, the ministry stressed that the evacuation programme is entirely financed by the Federal Government and that no passenger is expected to bear any travel cost.
”It is totally false, fake news, and should be discarded,” the ministry said while dismissing allegations that officials demanded money before registering Nigerians for the flights.
The ministry also commended the collaboration of relevant ministries, departments and agencies involved in the operation, describing the evacuation as evidence of the government’s commitment to safeguarding Nigerians abroad.
It added that protecting citizens overseas remains a key priority of Nigeria’s foreign policy and pledged continued support for Nigerians affected by crises in foreign countries.
S’Africa Evacuation Flights Are Free, Ministry Denies Extortion Claims
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