The Federal Government has confirmed that another batch of 271 Nigerians will arrive in the country on Tuesday as part of its ongoing voluntary evacuation programme from South Africa ahead of planned anti-immigration protests.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that an Air Peace aircraft departed Nigeria on Monday to evacuate Nigerians who voluntarily registered to return home amid growing concerns over demonstrations expected to begin on June 30.

Spokesperson for the ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the aircraft left Nigeria at about 3:00 p.m. on Monday and was scheduled to arrive in South Africa around 9:00 p.m. local time.

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According to him, the return flight will depart South Africa at midnight and is expected to land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Tuesday morning.

“Air Peace aircraft will depart Nigeria today, Monday, June 29, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. and is expected to arrive in South Africa at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time.

The return flight is scheduled to depart South Africa at 12:00 midnight and is expected to arrive at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday morning,” Ebienfa stated.

He confirmed that 271 Nigerians are expected on the latest evacuation flight.

The evacuation follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a voluntary repatriation programme earlier this month to ensure the safe return of Nigerians willing to leave South Africa before the planned anti-immigration protests.

Earlier, the Federal Government approved five Air Peace evacuation flights after more than 500 Nigerians were screened for repatriation.

Before this latest operation, 328 Nigerians had already been evacuated in two batches. The first flight returned 262 Nigerians on June 11, while a second batch of 66 returnees arrived in Lagos on June 25.

Authorities said the evacuation exercise is being coordinated by the Federal Government in collaboration with Air Peace and other relevant agencies to ensure the safe return of all registered Nigerians.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on citizens planning to participate in the June 30 anti-immigration protests to conduct themselves peacefully and within the bounds of the law, warning that violence, intimidation and vigilantism will not be tolerated.

In a message to the nation on Monday titled “Protest is both a right and a responsibility,” Ramaphosa acknowledged widespread public concerns over undocumented immigration, border management, pressure on public services and criminal syndicates exploiting the country’s immigration system.

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He said these concerns were legitimate and deserved to be addressed, but stressed that constitutional rights must not be used as a justification for unlawful conduct.

“The right to protest is enshrined in our Constitution. It is a credit to our robust democratic order that people are able to express their grievances openly. But the right to protest and freedom of expression does not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence,” Ramaphosa said.

The South African leader disclosed that his administration was implementing reforms aimed at strengthening border management, improving the integrity of visa and asylum systems, increasing enforcement against undocumented immigration and tackling corruption that has weakened immigration control.

According to him, the government is determined to correct failures in the immigration system and hold accountable anyone who has enabled illegal immigration through corrupt practices.

Ramaphosa also revealed that consultations had been held with traditional leaders, labour unions, business groups, religious organisations and other stakeholders, many of whom expressed support for government efforts while calling for tolerance and respect for the rule of law.

Reiterating that peaceful protest remains a fundamental democratic right, the president warned that anyone involved in criminal activities during the demonstrations would face legal consequences.

“Those who intend to protest should do so peacefully, lawfully and with respect for the rights, dignity and safety of others. Where there is criminal conduct, those responsible will be held accountable and the law will take its course,” he said.

Ramaphosa further reminded citizens that many foreign nationals residing in South Africa are in the country legally and make valuable contributions to the economy and society through work, education, investment and family life.

He condemned attempts by private individuals to enforce immigration laws, describing such actions as vigilantism.

“The authority to demand identification and enforce immigration laws belongs to government law-enforcement officers acting within the Constitution—not to private individuals. Whatever the motivation, taking the law into one’s own hands is vigilantism and has no place in our constitutional democracy,” he stated.

The president urged South Africans not to repeat painful chapters of the country’s history, where people were stopped, profiled and humiliated based on suspicion.

He assured citizens that law-enforcement agencies were prepared to maintain public order while safeguarding the constitutional right to peaceful protest.

Ramaphosa concluded by calling for unity, urging South Africans to choose dialogue over confrontation and justice over vengeance as the country navigates the immigration debate.

In a move signalling a shift from its traditional reliance on Nigerian, African, and United States crude grades, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) has purchased two cargoes of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Biztellers reports that this follows the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and is its first-ever procurement of Middle Eastern crude as the company expands its feedstock sources amid persistent domestic supply constraints.

According to a report by S&P Global Commodity Insights, two cargoes will be the first sourced by the 700,000-barrels-per-day refinery from any Middle Eastern supplier.

The report added that the purchases followed the resumption of oil exports from the Middle East after the United States and Iran reached an interim peace agreement that restored confidence in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The refinery, designed primarily to process Nigeria’s light sweet crude, has increasingly diversified its crude slate as operations ramp up. S&P Global reported that an agreement between the refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) had guaranteed the supply of between 13 and 15 cargoes of Nigerian crude monthly in naira, helping the refinery reduce its foreign exchange exposure.

However, the arrangement has faced challenges due to inadequate crude availability and operational issues at export terminals.

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According to the report, the Dangote Refinery Chief Executive Officer David Bird had previously disclosed that these constraints had compelled the company to seek additional crude sources outside Nigeria.

The report also added that the refinery’s expansion plans would further increase its crude requirements. Dangote plans to double the refinery’s processing capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by the end of 2028, a level that would enable it to process about 80 percent of Nigeria’s recent crude oil production in a single day.

According to S&P Global, the refinery has been broadening the range of crude grades it processes as part of its ambition to operate as a fully merchant refinery.

The report noted that in 2025, about 70 percent of the refinery’s crude imports came from Nigeria, while 24 per cent originated from the United States.