The Federal Government has concluded arrangements to evacuate the final batch of 315 Nigerians stranded in South Africa, with their arrival scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the returnees will be airlifted aboard an Air Peace flight, which is expected to depart South Africa at 1:30 a.m. and land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos by 6:30 a.m.

The ministry disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.

The evacuation exercise is part of the Federal Government’s response to the recent wave of xenophobic attacks and growing security concerns affecting Nigerians residing in parts of South Africa.

Before the scheduled flight, the government had successfully conducted four evacuation operations, bringing home hundreds of Nigerians who voluntarily chose to return.

The most recent batch comprised 40 returnees.
Officials said the ongoing exercise is strictly for Nigerians who registered their willingness to return home in the wake of the attacks.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare and security of Nigerians living abroad.

It also expressed appreciation to Air Peace and other stakeholders whose support made the evacuation exercise possible, describing the operation as part of the government’s continued efforts to protect its citizens wherever they may be.

No fewer than eight persons, including three children, have been confirmed dead following a suspected terrorist attack on communities in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, confirmed the casualty figure on Monday, describing the assault as a coordinated terrorist attack carried out using guerrilla tactics.

According to the police commissioner, the victims comprised five adults and three children.

Nwadiogbu said he spent most of Sunday in the affected communities alongside other security personnel to assess the situation and restore calm after angry youths staged protests and blocked major roads over the killings.

He explained that security operatives had to engage community members before they agreed to reopen the roads.

Describing the attackers’ mode of operation, the commissioner said the gunmen stormed the communities, carried out the killings and fled into nearby forests before security personnel could intercept them.

He added that investigations were ongoing to determine whether the latest attack was linked to previous incidents of violence in the area, stressing that it was too early to establish any connection.

The police boss assured residents that security agencies had intensified efforts to track down the perpetrators and prevent further attacks.

The attack reportedly targeted Akpachi village in Ugboju as well as Otukpo-Nobi communities between Saturday and Sunday, leaving several people dead and many others injured.

The killings sparked outrage among residents, with protesting youths reportedly carrying the bodies of some victims to the Och’Idoma Palace to demand urgent government intervention against the recurring violence in Benue South.

Reacting to the incident, Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the killings, describing them as barbaric and inhuman.

He directed security agencies to strengthen surveillance, pursue those responsible and deploy additional personnel to vulnerable communities across the state.

The governor said those behind the attack were attempting to undermine the peace and development of Benue State.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has called on the Federal Government and security authorities to conduct an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into the attacks.

The human rights organisation expressed concern over the growing insecurity in Otukpo and neighbouring communities, warning that the continued violence has deepened fear among residents and worsened the humanitarian situation in the state.

Amnesty also noted that many people remain missing while several others sustained serious injuries during the attack.

It urged authorities to ensure justice for the victims and strengthen measures to protect vulnerable communities from further assaults.

The latest violence comes barely three weeks after the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ardo Risku, and his associate, Yakubu Isah, who were ambushed while returning from a peace meeting in Ohimini Local Government Area.

Although some residents suspect the latest attack may be connected to the earlier killings, security agencies say no link has been established as investigations continue.

Five people, including four children, have lost their lives after a landslide triggered by days of heavy rainfall struck Ikot Anwatim Community in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State.

The tragic incident, which occurred on Saturday, also left two others—an adult and a child—with varying degrees of injuries, while the number of residents affected is yet to be determined.

The disaster unfolded as floodwaters simultaneously submerged parts of Calabar South Local Government Area, prompting emergency agencies to intensify rescue and relief efforts.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) described the incident as one of the deadliest rain-related disasters recorded in Cross River during the current rainy season.

Officials of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), in collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, visited the affected community shortly after the incident to assess the extent of the damage and begin humanitarian interventions.

Leading the assessment team, CR-SEMA Director-General Efa Nyong assured grieving families that government assistance was being processed.

The agency expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, urging residents to remain vigilant by reporting signs of erosion and avoiding areas vulnerable to landslides and flooding during the rainy season.

Emergency responders, including NEMA officials, carried out intensive search-and-rescue operations at the scene until Sunday evening to ensure no victims were trapped beneath the debris.

Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu also visited the affected communities alongside officials from CR-SEMA, NEMA, the Ministry of Works and the Nigerian Red Cross Society.

During the inspection, the governor toured several flood-ravaged areas, including Elijah Henshaw Street, Webber Street, Atu Street, Ibesikpo Street and Mayne Avenue.

He also paid a condolence visit to the family of a woman who lost her one-year-old child in the flooding.

Governor Otu assured victims that the state government had concluded arrangements to relocate those displaced by the landslide and flooding to temporary shelters, while commending emergency workers for their swift response.

The landslide came barely a day after NEMA and CR-SEMA completed a joint assessment of flood-hit communities across Calabar Municipality and Calabar South, where homes, businesses and roads were submerged by rising floodwaters.

Residents blamed the recurring flooding on inadequate drainage systems, blocked waterways caused by indiscriminate waste disposal and the intensity of the rainfall.

Beyond Cross River, NEMA is responding to similar weather-related disasters in several states.

In Yobe State, more than 15,000 people from 2,635 households were affected by rainstorms and windstorms across five local government areas, with dozens sustaining injuries.

The agency has also distributed relief materials to victims of windstorms in Taraba State, while similar assessments and humanitarian interventions have been carried out in Gombe and Rivers states following flooding and storm damage.

The growing number of weather-related disasters across the country has heightened concerns over the increasing impact of heavy rainfall, flooding, landslides and windstorms, placing greater pressure on emergency management agencies and affected communities.

The headmaster of Nomadic Basic School, Igbojaye, in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, Matthew Owoade, has regained his freedom barely two days after he was abducted by suspected gunmen.

The Oyo State Police Command announced that the educator was released on Monday evening after a coordinated security operation mounted sustained pressure on his captors, forcing them to abandon him.

The rescue comes less than 24 hours after the abduction was reported and shortly after pupils and teachers kidnapped in neighbouring Oriire Local Government Area regained their freedom following 56 days in captivity.

In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, CSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said security operatives swiftly launched an intensive operation immediately after receiving information about the incident.

He explained that the relentless pressure mounted by security agencies compelled the kidnappers to flee, leaving the victim behind.

According to the police, Owoade was taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment before being scheduled for debriefing to aid ongoing investigations.

The command added that efforts are underway to identify, arrest and prosecute everyone involved in the abduction.

Meanwhile, a video circulating online captured the emotional moment the headmaster reunited with his family and members of his community after regaining his freedom.

The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, commended security agencies, local residents and community members for their support throughout the operation.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, assuring residents that security operations would be intensified to ensure criminal elements have no safe haven in the state.

The police said investigations into the abduction are ongoing, with efforts focused on tracking down and bringing the perpetrators to justice.