\n\n
Air Peace has concluded the Federal Government’s humanitarian evacuation programme from South Africa, safely returning the final batch of 308 Nigerians and bringing the total number of evacuees to 1,393 across five dedicated flights. The final flight, operated with the airline’s Boeing 777-200, landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, at 11:28 a.m. on Wednesday, marking the successful completion of the operation coordinated by the Federal Government in partnership with the airline.
The returnees were received by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, alongside senior immigration officials. Dabiri-Erewa sympathised with the evacuees over their experiences during the xenophobic crisis and conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s assurance of the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting their reintegration and welfare. She also commended Air Peace and its Chairman, Allen Onyema, for their role in the humanitarian exercise, describing the operation as a strong example of effective public-private collaboration.
The evacuation exercise was launched after renewed xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant protests in parts of South Africa prompted hundreds of Nigerians to register for voluntary repatriation. Air Peace said the successful completion of the mission highlights Nigeria’s commitment to protecting its citizens abroad during emergencies and reaffirmed the airline’s readiness to support future humanitarian operations whenever required.
