Nigeria set to evacuate nationals from South Africa

By Olarewaju Kola

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AA) - Nigerian president on Monday directed immediate evacuation of Nigerian nationals from South Africa following xenophobic attacks in the country, his spokesman said.

Muhammadu Buhari issued directives on Monday after Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, director general of Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (DGNIA), returned from South Africa and submitted a report to the president.

“The president has directed evacuation of Nigerians in South Africa. They're about 600, coming in batches," an official at the Foreign Affairs Ministry told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa have witnessed tension following increasing anti-immigrant violence in the country. Dozens of businesses owned by Nigerian immigrants have been attacked in some South African cities.

Femi Adesina, the presidential spokesman, said Buhari also directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama to continue diplomatic engagement with South Africa in a bid to resolve the crisis.

Last week, a private Nigerian airline volunteered to handle the air lift of Nigerian citizens from South Africa but the exercise was delayed due to documentation challenges, a presidential source told Anadolu Agency.