Nigerian airline is now offering free flights home to their citizens who are currently residing in South Africa, due to a spate of xenophobic attacks.
Nigeria Airline, Air Peace will be sending an aircraft to Gauteng on Friday, in a bid to bring hundreds of immigrants back home.
Their Foreign Affairs Department issued a statement on the matter on Wednesday evening, confirming that panicked Nigerians in South Africa could solicit a free flight back to their country of birth.
The migrants essentially have one day to decide whether they should flee or stay put if they want to make the first available journey
On Wednesday, A travel advisory was issued by Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs advising her citizens to avoid areas that are prone to attacks by South Africans
.”Due to the tension created by the attacks, the Government of Nigeria wished to advice Nigerians to avoid traveling to high risk and volatile areas until the situation is brought under control.”
This is after Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari sent a special envoy to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa following reports of xenophobic attacks in the country.
President Buhari expressed “deep concern” about the security of Nigerian citizens and their property in South Africa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa told officials and business leaders on Wednesday that he was committed to quelling attacks on foreigners that have threatened to cast a cloud over an economic forum aimed at boosting intra-African trade.
Police in South Africa have so far arrested almost 300 people and confirmed at least five deaths after riots in Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria in recent days when roving groups attacked shops mainly owned by migrants from the rest of Africa.
