A fresh batch of 83 Nigerians repatriated from South Africa has arrived in Lagos.
The group, which arrived aboard a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg, landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Wednesday evening.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson of the federal ministry of foreign affairs, said in a statement that the returnees were accompanied by two officials from the consulate-general of Nigeria in Johannesburg.
“The Ministry wishes to reiterate the fact that the repatriation exercise of this batch of returnees was facilitated through the procurement of flight tickets by good-spirited private individuals, whose generous support enabled their safe return to Nigeria,” the statement reads.
The returnees were received in Lagos by Haruna Ali-Gombe, the director of African affairs department at the foreign affairs.
Ebienfa said Ali-Gombe welcomed them on behalf of the federal government and thereafter, handed the returnees over to the relevant government agencies for necessary documentation and profiling ahead of their reunification with their families.
“The federal government remains committed to the welfare and safe return of all Nigerian citizens abroad and expresses profound appreciation to the Nigerian Mission in South Africa, the private individuals who sponsored the exercise, and all agencies involved in ensuring a smooth reception and reintegration process,” he added.
The latest repatriation of 83 Nigerians is in addition to the 1,490 Nigerians who were earlier repatriated in seven batches from South Africa.
However, after the repatriation exercise, the Nigerian high commission in South Africa opened an online portal for citizens seeking to partake in another repatriation exercise.
The federal government has urged other corporate organisations, state governments, and individuals to emulate the “worthy examples” of private individuals who sponsored the latest repatriation.
