Air Peace airlifts Stranded Nigerians from South Africa

The first batch of the 640 Nigerians who registered for evacuation following the xenophobic attacks in South Africa have arrived Lagos, aboard an Air Peace Boeing 777 aircraft.

The returnees numbering 187comprising men, women and children landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos at 9:34pm on Wednesday having departed OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, around 4p.m.  

A foreign affairs ministry official, Mr. Kimiebi Ebenfa, who was on board the flight, confirmed their arrival.

He said, “We just landed safely despite the delays in South Africa.”

About 313 were billed to leave on Wednesday, but most of them could not travel with the first flight due to lack of travel documents.

Providing an update on the evacuation operation earlier while in South Africa, Ebenfa said the passengers checked in for departure at 3:27 pm.

According to him, the flight, which was scheduled for 10a.m. was delayed by the slow check-in process and immigration clearance.

He said, “Flight was delayed due to the slow process of check-in and immigration clearance.

“There were also complaints of system failure.

“Out of the 313 confirmed for the first batch, only 84 were cleared so far,” he said at 9:35a.m. before the flight took off around 4p.m.

The South African High Commission in Abuja could not be reached for comment on reasons for the delay.

Recall that the proprietor of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema, had volunteered to provide an aircraft to evacuate Nigerians who wished to return home on account of the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.