The Federal Government has clarified that all special evacuation flights bringing stranded Nigerians home from South Africa are fully funded by the government, stressing that no returnee is required to pay for transportation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the clarification in a statement on Friday signed by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, following reports alleging that officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa demanded money from citizens before placing them on evacuation flights.
The ministry dismissed the allegations as false, insisting that the evacuation exercise is being carried out at no cost to the returnees.
According to the statement, the first evacuation flight, operated by Air Peace, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on June 11, 2026, with 258 Nigerians. The returnees were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, and handed over to relevant government agencies for documentation and profiling.
The ministry said logistical challenges delayed the second government-arranged evacuation flight, prompting temporary accommodation for some affected Nigerians at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.
During the delay, a Nigerian philanthropist voluntarily paid the airfare for 66 evacuees, who returned to Lagos aboard a South African Airways flight on June 24.
It added that the second government evacuation flight landed on June 30 with 269 returnees, bringing the total number of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa to 593.
The ministry further disclosed that three additional evacuation flights have been scheduled to bring home all Nigerians who voluntarily registered for evacuation and completed the required screening process.
According to the ministry, about 700 more Nigerians are expected to be evacuated, with the third batch of 271 returnees scheduled to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Friday, July 3, at about 5:30 a.m.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to place on record that all the special evacuation flights are fully paid for by the Federal Government and at no cost to the returnees,” the statement said.
Describing reports that mission officials demanded payment from evacuees as “totally false” and “fake news,” the ministry urged the public to disregard the claims.
It also commended the collaboration of relevant ministries, departments and agencies in the evacuation exercise, describing it as a demonstration of the government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad.
“The evacuation process clearly underscores the priority accorded to the protection of Nigerian citizens overseas, which remains a central pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy and a core responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“It also reflects the government’s determination to ensure that Nigerians affected by crises abroad receive the necessary support, dignity and care. The lives of Nigerians living abroad matter, and we are trying our best as a ministry to give them a sense of belonging,” the statement added.
