By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

The federal government has repatriated another 66 Nigerians from South Africa as part of ongoing efforts to assist citizens affected by recent xenophobic attacks in the country.

The returnees, who formed the second batch of evacuees, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday.

Their return is part of the evacuation exercise approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following renewed attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.

The latest evacuation comes after the first batch of 258 Nigerians arrived in the country on June 11 aboard a chartered Air Peace flight.

Confirming the development to Vanguard on Thursday, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Kimiebi Ebienfa, said 66 persons were repatriated in the second phase of the exercise.

Meanwhile, the head of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, Lagos Office, Mr Dipo Onabowale, said the evacuation flight was facilitated by the chairman and chief executive officer of ValueJet, Mr Kunle Soname, while officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa accompanied the returnees to Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the chairman of NiDCOM, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Onabowale commended President Tinubu for approving the evacuation exercise.

He said challenges encountered during the first phase of the operation were being addressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to him, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has assured that all registered Nigerians willing to return from South Africa will be evacuated.

NiDCOM also announced support packages for the returnees. The commission said indigenes of Imo State among the evacuees would receive N1 million each from Governor Hope Uzodimma.

It added that MTN Nigeria provided free SIM cards and N50,000 worth of data, while N100,000 was credited into the bank account of each returnee.

Founder of Harvesters International Christian Centre, Pastor Bolaji Idowu, also donated N100,000 to each of the evacuees.

The returnees expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for approving the evacuation and facilitating their safe return home.

They also thanked Soname; acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa Ambassador Temitope Ajayi; Chairman of NiDCOM Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa; and other individuals who supported the exercise.

Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons; Nigeria Immigration Service; Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria; and other security agencies were on the ground at the airport to receive and document the returnees.

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