The federal government has scheduled its final evacuation flight from South Africa to arrive in Nigeria on Wednesday, July 15, with 315 stranded Nigerians expected on board.
According to a statement by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the Air Peace flight will depart Johannesburg at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday and is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, at about 6:30 a.m.
With the arrival of the final batch, the federal government will have evacuated a total of 1,456 Nigerians from South Africa since the exercise began on June 11, 2026. The figure comprises 1,141 people evacuated through previous government-coordinated flights, 315 passengers on the final flight, as well as 66 Nigerians evacuated by a private individual and another 39 transported through a separate Air Peace arrangement.
The evacuation followed distress calls from Nigerians stranded in South Africa amid nationwide protests led by the March and March group, which has been demanding the expulsion of foreign nationals, particularly Africans, from the country.
Confirming the development, Ebienfa said, “The last and fifth evacuation flight from South Africa operated by Air Peace is expected to depart Johannesburg with 315 returnees on Wednesday, 15th July 2026, at 1:30 a.m., and the estimated time of arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, is 6:30 a.m.”
The president of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, also confirmed the planned evacuation.
According to Onyekwelu, the affected Nigerians had been notified and directed to assemble at the Nigerian High Commission in Johannesburg ahead of their departure.
“The names on the list have been invited to gather tomorrow at the High Commission for the departure process,” he said.
