Nigeria has continued the evacuation of its citizens affected by the ongoing anti-migrant violence in South Africa, with another batch of returnees arriving safely in Lagos on Friday.

The Air Peace evacuation flight landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, bringing home 268 Nigerians, alongside two officials and crew members.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, confirmed the development, revealing that “a total of 268 returnees and two officers and crew” were on board the special evacuation flight.

She explained that the Federal Government-funded charter flight departed Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 5:36 a.m. before arriving in Nigeria.

According to the minister, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered that the evacuation exercise should continue despite the June 30, 2026 deadline issued by South African anti-migrant groups and vigilantes.

“The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has directed that the evacuation of Nigerian nationals from South Africa at risk as a result of the ongoing xenophobic protests and attacks continues, even after the deadline of 30th June 2026 issued by South African Anti-migrant groups and vigilantes.

“Three batches of returnees, almost 600 Nationals in total, had earlier been successfully evacuated from South Africa before the deadline.

“The evacuations remain ongoing. The Federal Government is committed to bringing home safely our Nationals who voluntarily registered to be evacuated and have been duly screened and cleared.

“Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in adherence to that unbreakable bond between citizen and state, remains dedicated to this mandate,” she wrote in a statement shared on her X account.

Ojukwu reaffirmed that safeguarding Nigerians abroad remains one of the government’s top priorities and forms an important part of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

She added that the administration remains committed to protecting the dignity and welfare of Nigerians wherever they reside.

The latest evacuation comes as anti-migrant demonstrations continue across South Africa, where black foreign nationals have increasingly become targets of hostility and violence.

On Tuesday, thousands of protesters marched in several South African cities demanding the removal of undocumented migrants after weeks of anti-immigration campaigns that have displaced thousands of people and reportedly claimed four lives.

Police maintained a heavy presence during the nationwide protests, which followed an unofficial June 30 deadline issued by citizen-led vigilante groups demanding that undocumented migrants leave the country.

Authorities reported isolated incidents of looting, stone-throwing and confrontations during the demonstrations. Near Johannesburg, security officials escorted a small number of foreign nationals away from an angry crowd armed with large sticks.

Protesters were also seen throwing stones at a building while carrying flags and placards, under the watch of heavily armed police officers wearing riot gear.

In Durban, demonstrators dressed in traditional Zulu warrior attire marched with spears, shields and whips, while some wore leopard skins.

In Cape Town, a smaller protest of about 100 people moved through the city centre, passing a separate demonstration organised in opposition to Afrophobia and xenophobia.

South Africa remains one of Africa’s largest economies and continues to attract migrant workers despite facing unemployment exceeding 30 per cent, rising crime and challenges in public service delivery.

Anti-immigration groups argue that undocumented migrants take jobs and strain public resources, although analysts have criticised such claims, saying foreign nationals are often unfairly blamed for broader governance and economic challenges.

“South Africans have been replaced by illegal foreigners, increasing unemployment,” the leader of the anti-immigrant March and March movement, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, told supporters during a rally in Durban.

Police said at least two Mozambicans, one Ethiopian and one Malawian have been killed in the latest wave of anti-migrant violence.

Several African countries, including Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, have since organised voluntary evacuation flights and road transport for citizens wishing to return home.

Meanwhile, Nigeria says it will also pursue compensation for citizens forced to abandon businesses and properties in South Africa.

Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, disclosed during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief that the government has begun documenting assets left behind by returnees as part of efforts to seek compensation from the South African authorities.

“I have asked them (returnees) before they left yesterday to document very accurately those things they were leaving behind in terms of businesses, in terms of even cars, movable and immovable properties. We can now take it up with the South African government. That is the next step we are going to take.

“So, this repatriation will not end with just taking people to Nigeria. We are going to systematically follow up on the information given to us, and I told them to be very accurate with what they are going to give because we are going to work with the South African government to get to the exact locations of all these businesses, shops and properties and present them to the South African government for possible compensation because we will not allow the labour people have suffered to build over the years to just go down the drain or be taken over by people,” Ajayi said.

Following the Federal Government’s declaration that it neither established the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) nor appointed Adeniyi Adeyemi as its Director-General, fresh details have emerged from civil servants who were posted to the agency before it was eventually disowned.

Mr Adeyemi, whom the government accused of forging his appointment letter and other official documents, has denied the allegations, insisting he would clear his name in court. He also accused the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, of falsehood and corruption. Mr Gbajabiamila was the first government official to publicly distance the Presidency from both Mr Adeyemi and the agency.

It was previously reported that the Federal Government filed an eight-count charge of forgery and impersonation against Mr Adeyemi before the Federal High Court. If convicted, he faces up to 21 years imprisonment without the option of a fine on seven of the charges, while the remaining count carries a penalty of up to three years imprisonment or a fine.

According to a police investigation report reviewed by the newspaper, Mr Adeyemi allegedly forged multiple approval documents and official letterheads, including correspondence used to request the deployment of accountants and auditors from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF).

Court documents also showed that the PFIPC operated from the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.

Three senior civil servants who were deployed from the OAGF to the agency have now provided insight into how the organisation functioned before it was shut down.

The officers—Ojo Victor, Omeh Amarachukwu, and Wakili Saidu—were questioned by police investigators and have been listed as prosecution witnesses in the case against Mr Adeyemi.

In separate statements made at the Force Headquarters on 10 November 2025, they described their experiences at the agency, their interactions with Mr Adeyemi, and the unusual nature of their assignments.

Their accounts are contained in court filings, police investigation records and witness statements reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES.

According to the documents, Mr Adeyemi had written to the Accountant General of the Federation on 4 April 2025, using PFIPC letterhead, requesting the deployment of personnel to fill several vacancies, including Principal Accountant, Accountant I, Principal Auditor, Senior Auditor and Auditor I.

“Kindly note that the office has the requirement(s)/conditions of self-accounting status according to FR1602(2009),” part of the letter signed by Mr Adeyemi stated.

In another letter dated the same day, he also requested the deployment of Ogaba Harry and Esther Orji from the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President (OCEAP) to the PFIPC.

“We are aware that there is a need to formally deploy (post) them for the purpose of records and documentation,” he wrote.

Although it remains unclear when the requests received approval, it was reported that at least three civil servants from the OAGF were officially posted to the agency on 28 August 2025, according to a posting letter published on the OAGF website.

Those deployed included Ojo Victor, an Assistant Chief Accountant; Omeh Amarachukwu, an Internal Auditor; and Wakili Saidu, an officer in the audit department.

The witnesses said they presented their posting letters to Mr Adeyemi on 1 September 2025, after which he directed them to resume work on 8 September 2025.

Upon resumption, they were assigned a shared office but said they were never given official responsibilities or documentation to carry out any work.

“We are three officers posted at the same time, and when we resumed on 8 September, the three of us were given an open office that the three of us were sitting down without doing anything,” Mr Victor stated.

Mr Saidu also told investigators, “Since then, there has been no correspondence between me and the DG.”

Mr Victor described the situation as unusual, adding, “I have not been documented, and no schedule has been given to me since my assumption, which I find very strange.”

Mr Amarachukwu said the officers repeatedly complained about the lack of work and hoped to be transferred elsewhere, but no action was taken.

“I only go to work once in a week, the reason being that we have nothing doing since we were posted there,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Victor said he only visited the office once or twice weekly “just to show our face in the office because there was no assignment or schedule to any of us to do.”

Mr Saidu told investigators that he reported to work only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

All three witnesses also stated that they had never heard of the PFIPC before receiving their posting letters.

“I have never heard of that agency until I saw my name posted to the agency,” Mr Saidu said.

Mr Victor echoed the same sentiment, saying, “I have not heard about the organisation before until my posting introduction came out on 28 August 2025.”