By Chidubem Anthony
A further 83 Nigerian returnees have arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, following the xenophobic attack on nationals in South Africa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Accompanied by two officials from the Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg, the contingent arrived in the country yesterday aboard a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg, spokesperson for the ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said in a statement.
The ministry reiterated that the repatriation of this batch of returnees was facilitated through flight tickets procured by good-spirited private individuals.
They were received on arrival by the ministry’s Director of African Affairs, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe, and were afterwards handed over to the relevant government agencies for necessary documentation and profiling ahead of their reunification with their families.
The federal government further expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Mission in South Africa, the private individuals who sponsored the exercise, and all agencies involved in ensuring the smooth reception and reintegration process of the returnees.
