First set of Nigerians who returned to Nigeria from South Africa have since arrived. Although delayed by over seven hours, the 188 Nigerians aboard Air Peace aircraft B777 were evacuated without any cost to government by the Chairman of the airline, Allen Onyema. It cost the company about N280 million to undertake the task.
Upon return, the Chairman If the airline who was part of the delegation to welcome the returnees was mobbed by the contingent. He told the media that “I put together over N280 million in other to bring these people back,” he said. “Air Peace decided to bring them free of charge, nobody paid us a dime, we decided to do it free of charge for our country and for our people.
“When I stepped inside the aircraft to welcome them, they mobbed me and started singing the Nigerian national anthem, there was nobody there singing about separation, they felt proud to be Nigerians, they rose in unison, that drew tears from me.”
