A fresh group of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa has landed safely in Lagos as the Federal Government continues its voluntary repatriation exercise amid heightened anti-immigrant tensions in the country.

The Air Peace flight carrying approximately 271 returnees touched down at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Tuesday morning, shortly before 11 a.m. This marks the third major batch in the ongoing operation.

Officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and other relevant agencies were on ground to receive the evacuees, who will undergo documentation, profiling, and medical checks before reintegration support.

The latest flight departed Johannesburg late Monday night / early Tuesday, following an earlier departure from Nigeria. It forms part of President Bola Tinubu administration’s efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of citizens choosing to return home voluntarily.

Prior batches included around 258-268 returnees who arrived on June 11 and 66 more on June 25, bringing the cumulative total to over 500 before today’s arrival. The government has indicated plans for additional flights to accommodate more registered Nigerians wishing to leave South Africa.

The evacuations come ahead of and in response to planned anti-migrant protests in South Africa on June 30, with reports of over 15,000 Nigerians still potentially interested in returning amid fears of xenophobic attacks, looting, and harassment.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged remaining Nigerians in South Africa to stay vigilant, maintain contact with the Nigerian High Commission, and take advantage of available evacuation support where needed. Officials continue to monitor the situation closely while providing consular assistance.

A mother who was pulled from the rubble of her wrecked home in Venezuela with her 18-day-old baby has told the BBC of how her son helped keep her alive.

Dayana Patino said her son Juan David gave her “motivation to be awake and alert”.

“As long as he was alive, I was going to be alive. Every now and then I was touching his nose for proof that he was still breathing,” she said.

Footage of the rescue has been shared around the world, with Juan David becoming a symbol of hope in Venezuela, which has been devastated by the twin earthquakes that hit the country on Wednesday – killing at least 1,450 people.

Tens of thousands more are missing in what the country’s interim president has described as the “most brutal natural catastrophe” in Venezuela’s history.

A civilian aircraft carrying skydivers plummeted from the sky and crashed near the eastern French town of Tomblaine on Sunday, killing everyone on board in one of the country’s deadliest light aircraft disasters in years, authorities said.

All 11 people aboard — believed to include the pilot and 10 skydivers — died in the crash, local officials confirmed. Emergency services rushed to the scene after reports of the downed aircraft, but found no survivors.

The aircraft went down in a rural area close to Tomblaine, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, shortly after takeoff on what was reportedly a routine skydiving excursion. Debris was scattered across the crash site, and a large emergency operation involving firefighters, police, and medical teams is underway.

French authorities have launched a full investigation into the cause of the tragedy. The National Bureau of Investigation and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) has been notified and is expected to lead the probe, examining factors such as mechanical failure, weather conditions, or human error.

“This is a terrible tragedy that has shocked the entire community,” a local official told reporters at the scene. “Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives today.”

Skydiving operations are popular in the region, but light aircraft accidents remain rare. Sunday’s crash ranks among France’s worst involving small planes in the past decade.

More details are expected as the investigation progresses. This is a developing story.