… Commends Imo, Abia, Enugu as 83 more evacuees arrive
By Nkiruka Nnorom
The Federal Government has called on state governments to complement its efforts in evacuating and resettling Nigerians at risk abroad, warning that no citizen should be abandoned to an uncertain fate. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the appeal in an update posted on her X handle, saying that states must assist in “cushioning the difficult process of relocation and resettlement of their returning indigenes” under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Citizen Diplomacy agenda. Her appeal for assistance came as a new batch of 83 Nigerian nationals was evacuated from South Africa following continued xenophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments in the country.
She specifically commended three states, including Imo, Abia and Enugu states for their intervention so far. “We, therefore, call on State Governments to complement the federal government’s efforts towards ensuring that no citizen at risk abroad is abandoned to an uncertain fate,” she said. Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that the new repatriation was made possible by public-spirited private individuals, and the group of business friends who collectively sponsored the air tickets of the returnees. The returnees, she said, departed the Oliver Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg at 3:35 p.m. local time and arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at approximately 8:45 p.m. “This same group has also committed to evacuating a second batch of our nationals who no longer feel safe in South Africa and have expressed a wish to return to Nigeria,” Amb.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu added. The Minister said the returnees in the latest batch were from Anambra, Ondo, Imo, Oyo, Enugu, Ogun, Abia, Osun, Delta, Kwara and Ekiti States. Commending the three states for their intervention, she said: “We thank the state government of IMO which has commenced the disbursement of one million Naira each to returning indigenes, Abia, which has approved the immediate disbursement of N1 million each to 31 verified South Africa returnees of Abia State extraction as well as Enugu State government for its commitment towards assisting in the evacuation of stranded indigenes.”
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“We urge other state governments to follow suit and complement the federal government’s emergency efforts by coming to the aid of their stranded indigenes and returnees in this time of need,” she added.
The Ministry also appreciated “other well-meaning Nigerian individuals and groups, home and abroad for their support and efforts in responding to and assisting Nigerian Nationals facing consular challenges and emergencies overseas.”
The latest batch of 83 evacuees brings to 1,573 the total number of Nigerians repatriated from South Africa under the government’s voluntary repatriation programme. The previous 1,490 were evacuated in the heat of the xenophobic protests in South Africa “in the process of which some Nigerian nationals lost their lives and many lost properties.”
