THE Federal Government has dismissed allegations that Nigerian officials demanded money from citizens seeking evacuation from South Africa, insisting that all special repatriation flights arranged for those fleeing xenophobic attacks were fully funded by the government.

The government maintained that the evacuation exercise was carried out at no cost to the returnees and announced that a third batch of 271 Nigerians is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, today as the operation continues.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the clarification in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, saying reports that officials of the Nigerian Mission in South Africa demanded money before registering Nigerians for evacuation were false and should be disregarded.

According to the ministry, the clarification became necessary following what it described as insinuations and false allegations surrounding the evacuation exercise.

“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.

It added: “This clarification is necessitated by insinuations and false allegations that some staff of the Nigerian Mission were requesting money before enlisting our nationals for the evacuation flights. That is totally false, fake news, and should be discarded.”

The ministry disclosed that the Federal Government has so far facilitated the safe return of 593 Nigerians affected by the ongoing xenophobic attacks in South Africa through a series of evacuation operations.

It said the first batch of 258 evacuees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on June 11 aboard a special Air Peace flight and was received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, on behalf of the Federal Government.

The returnees were subsequently handed over to relevant ministries, departments and agencies for documentation and profiling.

The ministry explained that logistical challenges delayed the second evacuation operation, leading to the temporary accommodation of some stranded Nigerians at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, where they were provided with care and other necessary support.

It added that the situation was eased after a public-spirited Nigerian volunteered to pay the flight fares of 66 stranded citizens, enabling them to return to Lagos aboard South African Airways on June 24.

Another special evacuation flight arrived in Lagos on June 30 with 269 returnees, bringing the total number of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa to 593.

The ministry said evacuation efforts would continue over the coming days, with three additional flights scheduled to bring home about 700 more Nigerians who voluntarily registered for evacuation and have completed the required screening and clearance process.

According to the statement, the third batch of the exercise will arrive in Nigeria on Friday (today), July 3, with 271 returnees expected to land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about 5:30 a.m.

The ministry expressed appreciation to the various ministries, departments and agencies involved in the evacuation exercise, describing their collaboration and coordination as vital to the success of the operation.

It said the exercise shows the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad and ensuring that citizens affected by crises receive the necessary support, dignity and care.

“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,” the statement said.

It added that the government would continue working with relevant stakeholders to safeguard the welfare of Nigerians wherever they reside.

“The lives of Nigerians living abroad matter and we are trying our best as a Ministry to give them a sense of belonging,” the ministry stated.