The returnees, fleeing deep-seated fears and renewed xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals, touched down at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) at exactly 10:15 a.m. aboard a chartered Air Peace aircraft funded by the Federal Government.
The Ambassador and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, alongside various federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), stood ground at the tarmac to receive the returnees.
Extensive arrangements for processing, psychological documentation, and immediate rehabilitation support have been set up at the Lagos airport terminals.
In a vital policy shift, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, announced that the voluntary repatriation registration has officially been extended until Sunday, June 14, 2026.
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This extension ensures that hundreds of affected citizens still trapped or stranded in volatile South African neighborhoods have an escape window. While the homecoming brings physical safety, it carries a heavy diplomatic sting.
The South African Department of Home Affairs has officially imposed a strict five-year travel ban on the 268 citizens repatriated in this initial flight, formally designating them as "undesirable" illegal residents under the nation's strict Immigration Act.
According to Stephen van Neel, South Africa's Head of Immigration Enforcement: Out of roughly 1,000 Nigerians who initially registered for emergency repatriation, 500 have been cleared so far.
The first batch of 268 citizens airlifted midnight from OR Tambo International Airport were completely undocumented.
The diplomatic crisis is far from over. South African authorities have already confirmed that a second batch of cleared Nigerian evacuees from South Africa arrive Lagos or alternative domestic hubs on Monday, June 15, 2026.
The Nigerian Federal Government has firmly reiterated its stance to maintain high-level bilateral talks with Pretoria, demanding absolute protection for the properties and lives of legal Nigerian residents who have chosen to remain in South Africa despite the hostile climate.
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