Xenophobia: 320 Nigerians to arrive Lagos 7 p.m. on Tuesday – Air Peace

The Management of Air Peace has confirmed that the flight conveying the second batch of 320 Nigerians from South Africa would arrive Lagos by 7.00 p.m. on Sept. 17.

Mr Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, made the confirmation in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos.

It was reported that the airline in collaboration with the Federal Government had on Sept. 11 evacuated 187 Nigerians from South Africa.

The Nigerians had indicated interest to return home following ongoing xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in their host country.

Onyema said the Air Peace flight from OR Thambo International Airport would arrive at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by 7:00 p.m.

He said that the flight would leave Nigeria after midnight on Tuesday and arrive South Africa in the morning but would depart South Africa mid day back to Lagos.

Onyema also disclosed that out of over 600 Nigerians willing to return home, 360 of them had been cleared for the evacuation.

However, he said the airline would airlift 320 in the second batch, which is the capacity of the aircraft, Boeing 777 that would be deployed for the flight.

It was reported that the President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa had intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue by sending special envoys to Nigeria and five other African countries.

However, some of the Nigerians evacuated in the first batch including Mr John Onuaha and Mr Jude Anthony, decried the hostility against blacks by South Africans.

They told our reporter that they lost valuables to the unjust attacks and could have been killed if they had insisted on staying back in South Africa.