Air Peace flight Boeing 777 scheduled to arrive Nigeria from South Africa at 2pm Wednesday has been delayed as a result of expired documents of Nigerians leaving the country following the wave of xenophobic violence that that occurred last week.
Chairman Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri – Erewa while speaking to Journalists in an interview at the cargo wing of the Lagos International airport, said the Air Peace aircraft detailed to airlift 317 passengers on the manifest of the inaugural flight was delayed on the ground by South African authorities.
The return of Nigerians trapped in xenophobic attacks in South Africa has been delayed for over five hours on account of Immigration hurdles posed by South African government.
The South African authorities, she disclosed, brought new immigration rules before the affected Nigerians could be allowed to board the aircraft.
She said the 2.00 pm scheduled time for the aircraft to arrive Lagos was no longer tenable due to logistic and other diplomatic hurdles posed by South African government. As at the time of filing in this report , the flight is yet to depart South Africa.
101Business News crew is presently at the NAHCO wing of the Airport where journalists from across various Media Houses in the Country converged in anticipation of capturing the arrival of the flight and the returnees.
The Diaspora CEO stated that the flight is scheduled to arrive at later today as a result of the delay.
On arrival, she said the federal government will carry out profiling of the returnees and keep an open line of communication with them for about two months for reintegration.
She said some stipends in the form of transport fare will be given to them to get to their respective states of origin.
Mrs. Dabiri- Erewa said government has mobilised the Bank of Industry to work out several skills acquisition and other social intervention programmes for returnees who are interested.
