Another batch of over 100 Nigerians stranded in South Africa following the renewed xenophobic attacks has departed the country aboard a special flight arranged by the Federal Government.The departure is in continuation of the evacuation exercise conducted by the Federal Government.

The latest batch of returnees, comprising adult men and women, children and minors, departed South Africa yesterday around 3:45 pm (South African time) and arrived Nigeria later in the night (Wednesday) around 9pm, where government officials received them.

The returnees who departed from the O. R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Before departure, the passports and phones of the returnees were collected from them, but a consular officer from the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa, who addressed the returnees, promised that their telephones would be returned to them immediately the aircraft was airborne.

According to him, the phones were collected from them to prevent disruption of the special flight.

The evacuation was facilitated through a special South African Airways (SAA) Airbus A330-300 chartered flight by the Federal Government to bring the willing Nigerians home safely.

• IGP Tunji Disu

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed as false and misleading claims circulating on social media that a viral video from Katsina State showed a police officer interacting with armed bandits.

The Force clarified that the individuals seen in the footage are recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and registered hunters working alongside security agencies in ongoing operations across Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of the state.

In a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, the Police explained that the video captured a routine interaction between a police officer and community security volunteers on their way to a designated operational area.

The Force stressed that any attempt to portray the individuals as bandits is entirely false and intended to mislead the public.

According to the statement, the volunteers featured in the video are actively supporting security operations aimed at combating criminality and improving public safety in the affected communities.

The Nigeria Police Force also condemned what it described as the deliberate distortion of facts and the spread of misinformation capable of creating public anxiety, undermining confidence in security institutions, and hampering ongoing security operations.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has suspended human rights lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, from the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) pending the conclusion of ongoing disciplinary proceedings against him.

The suspension was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by Kabir Akanbi, Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC. According to the statement, the decision was reached at the committee’s 173rd general meeting held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

“The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee at its 173rd General Meeting held on 23rd June, 2026, considered the matter and resolved to suspend Mike Ozekhome, SAN, from the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria pending the determination of the disciplinary proceedings against him,” the statement read.

Ozekhome, a well-known constitutional lawyer and vocal advocate for human rights and democratic governance, has been a Senior Advocate of Nigeria for many years. The suspension is a significant development in Nigeria’s legal community, as the SAN rank is one of the highest professional honours for legal practitioners in the country.

The LPPC, chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, is the body responsible for conferring and regulating the SAN rank. No further details were provided in the statement regarding the specific allegations leading to the disciplinary action.

This is the latest in a series of high-profile cases involving senior members of the Bar facing regulatory scrutiny. Further updates are expected as the disciplinary proceedings progress.