Eighty-three Nigerian returnees have arrived in Lagos from South Africa aboard a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this on Wednesday in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
The returnees were accompanied by two officials from the Consulate-General of Nigeria in Johannesburg.
According to the ministry, the repatriation was made possible through flight tickets procured by private individuals whose support enabled the returnees to travel safely back to Nigeria.
The returnees were received at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport by the Director of the African Affairs Department, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe, who welcomed them on behalf of the Federal Government.
They were later handed over to relevant government agencies for documentation and profiling ahead of reunification with their families.
The ministry reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare and safe return of Nigerians stranded or living abroad.
It also appreciated the Nigerian Mission in South Africa, the private sponsors, and all government agencies involved in the reception and reintegration process.
