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The first batch of Nigerians living in South Africa who registered for evacuation from the former apartheid enclave will arrive Nigeria today.
The returnees are being evacuated via Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest carrier.
The Air Peace flight was scheduled to depart the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos at 11.30pm on Tuesday, land at O. R. Tambo International Airport, South Africa, in the early hours of today, and arrive at the cargo area of MMIA in the afternoon.
Following the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, the Federal Government had granted approval that any Nigerian in South Africa willing to return home should indicate interest. More than 600 Nigerians have reportedly registered for evacuation from the country.
The inaugural evacuation was delayed till Tuesday following information that some Nigerians planning to leave South Africa had expired travel documents and may need to get travel certificates if they were to return.
BusinessDay’s checks show that the Air Peace, which will be airlifting the passengers using its Boeing 777, cannot take the stranded 614 passengers at once, so it may have to make a return trip to take the remaining passengers.
Investigations show that it took some time for the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa to register the Nigerians at Johannesburg and Pretoria billed to travel.
“The Air Peace flight to South Africa will take off from Lagos and land in Johannesburg, South Africa and back. As earlier stated, the take-off would be on Tuesday. This is because the Nigerians in South Africa have to take travel certificate because many of them don’t have travel document and their passports have since expired,” a source close to the government said.
“Air Peace who volunteered this incredible feat has readied its Boeing 777 aircraft for the flight since Tuesday but the Nigerian High Commission needed time to register the Nigerians billed to travel. They are already doing that in Johannesburg and Pretoria,” the source said.
Allen Onyema, Air Peace chairman, said he was doing this to support the Federal Government.
“We want to send a signal to the world that Nigerians are their brothers’ keepers and I support the Federal Government and the president who would have done the same as private citizen. Buhari under Shagari drove away insurgents,” Onyema said.
Onyema had warned Nigerians not to fall prey to fraudsters who were demanding monies from Nigerians and are bent on sabotaging efforts to save Nigerians.
“We are offering free trip to Nigerians in South Africa to return home after going through the traumatic experience of the attacks. Air Peace has said this is free and we are doing it in solidarity with the Federal Government,” Onyema said.
“We have not designated or recruited any agent in South Africa to collect money on behalf of Air Peace. So nobody should pay money to anyone or group of persons posing as Air Peace agent or staff. Any Nigerian who has paid money for repatriation back to Nigeria with Air Peace should request for a refund and report to appropriate authorities,” he said.
He, however, expressed concern about the incident in South Africa. He alleged complicity on the part of South African authorities, calling on Nigerians to take advantage of the offer and return home.
The recent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in South Africa started on Sunday, September 1, 2019.
According to the South African Police, five people were killed in the attacks as South African mobs launched attacks on foreigners, including Nigerians, and looted and burnt their places of business in suburbs of Johannesburg and surrounding areas.
Due to the violent attacks on Nigerians, the Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday, September 4, 2019, withdrew its participation from the World Economic Forum holding in South Africa.
Nigeria also recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Kabiru Bala, in protest of xenophobic attacks on its nationals in the country.
IFEOMA OKEKE
