The Nigerian government will evacuate 217 more of its citizens from South Africa

The Federal Government says arrangements have been made to evacuate 271 Nigerians stranded in South Africa today.

Providing an update on the situation on Monday, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imotimi Ebienfa, said the Air Peace aircraft will depart Nigeria today, Monday, 29 June 2026, at 15:00 to carry out the evacuation.

Ebienfa said the plane would depart South Africa at midnight to arrive on Tuesday morning.

Anti-immigration vigilante groups have set a June 30 2026 deadline demanding undocumented foreign nationals, especially black citizens, to leave South Africa.

The threat has sparked widespread fears of xenophobic riots, leading several African countries to evacuate thousands of their citizens. Although South African authorities strongly condemned the threat of vigilantism and deployed the police and military to tighten security across the country.

Ebienfa in his brief statement said: “Nigeria will continue the evacuation of our citizens from South Africa today.

“The Air Peace plane will depart Nigeria today, Monday, June 29 2026, at 15.00, and is expected to arrive in South Africa at around 21.00 local time.

“The return flight is scheduled to depart South Africa at 12.00 midnight and is expected to arrive at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Tuesday morning. The expected number is 271.”