{"id":19176,"date":"2026-06-14T10:23:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T10:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umuakatimes.com\/topnews\/?p=19176"},"modified":"2026-06-14T10:23:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T10:23:23","slug":"two-akalites-among-nigerians-repatriated-from-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umuakatimes.com\/topnews\/two-akalites-among-nigerians-repatriated-from-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Akalites Among Nigerians Repatriated From South Africa."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='epvc-post-count'><span class='epvc-eye'><\/span>  <span class=\"epvc-count\"> 37<\/span><span class='epvc-label'> Views<\/span><\/div><p>Feelers reaching Umuaka Times from South Africa indicate that two indigenes of Umuaka in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State were among the first batch of Nigerians repatriated from South Africa following the recent wave of anti-immigrant protests and attacks that have unsettled several parts of the country. Although the identities of the two Akalites could not be independently confirmed at the time of filing this report, sources disclosed that they were among the 262 Nigerians evacuated by the Federal Government from South Africa and brought home aboard an Air Peace aircraft last Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The returnees arrived at the MurtalaMuhammed International Airport, Lagos, in the early hours of June 11, 2026, following a coordinated evacuation exercise approved by the Federal Government. The flight also conveyed three government officials, bringing the total number of persons on board to 265.<\/p>\n<p>The evacuation followed weeks of anti-immigration demonstrations and attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa. The unrest, which reportedly began in April, sparked fears among many Africans living and working in the country, prompting several governments to initiate measures aimed at protecting their citizens.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, the Nigerian authorities described the operation as a voluntary repatriation exercise designed to assist citizens who no longer felt safe remaining in South Africa. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, no fewer than 1,094 Nigerians had registered for voluntary return before the commencement of the evacuation program. Officials from both Nigeria and South Africa conducted a screening process to determine those eligible for the first batch of flights.<\/p>\n<p>Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the evacuation was ordered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of efforts to safeguard the lives of Nigerians caught up in the crisis. She urged affected citizens to place their safety and that of their families above material possessions and business interests.<\/p>\n<p>The evacuation flight was operated by Air Peace Airlines, which was designated by the Federal Government to handle five approved evacuation flights. The airline departed O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg before landing safely in Lagos last week.<\/p>\n<p>Air Peace has previously participated in similar humanitarian missions, including the evacuation of Nigerians during earlier xenophobic attacks in South Africa in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>The presence of two Akalites among the returnees highlights the impact of the unrest on Nigerians from various communities across the country. Residents of Umuaka town who spoke with Umuaka Times expressed relief that their kinsmen had safely returned home despite the difficult circumstances that led to their departure.<\/p>\n<p>The June 11 evacuation is expected to be the first in a series of repatriation flights as Nigerian authorities continue to process hundreds of other citizens who have indicated their willingness to return home from South Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Observers say the development serves as another reminder of the challenges faced by African migrants in foreign countries and the need for stronger regional cooperation to guarantee the safety and dignity of all citizens living and working across the continent. It is expected that many Akalites will cease this free opportunity and return home safely.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>37 ViewsFeelers reaching Umuaka Times from South Africa indicate that two indigenes of Umuaka in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[1147],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Two Akalites Among Nigerians Repatriated From South Africa. -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/umuakatimes.com\/topnews\/two-akalites-among-nigerians-repatriated-from-south-africa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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