Nigeria has postponed its planned evacuation of citizens from South Africa after running into unexpected logistics problems, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday.
Spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa confirmed the flight has been rescheduled but did not disclose the new date, departure time, or what caused the delay. The number of returnees on the first plane and the arrival city Lagos or Abuja are yet to be announced.
Sources say Air Peace will operate the repatriation flight. Ebienfa declined to confirm the airline’s schedule.
The postponement comes as the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria completes documentation for over 1,000 citizens following a recent spike in xenophobic attacks. The screening exercise began Thursday.
To prevent detentions, the High Commission secured waivers from South African authorities for Nigerians with immigration violations, allowing them to leave on the government flights.
Nigeria’s evacuation comes after Ghana flew home nearly 300 nationals two weeks ago, the first of about 800 who registered to return. Ebienfa noted that Nigeria submitted its passenger manifest before Ghana, but South African officials prioritized Ghana’s request.
Authorities say flight and arrival details will be released once plans are finalized.