One of Nigeria’s domestic carriers, Air Peace, says it is willing to evacuate Nigerians to complement efforts of the Federal Government to check the death of Nigerians residing in South Africa.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Wednesday, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Airline, Mrs Oluwatoyin Olajide, urged the Federal Government to facilitate the rescue of stranded Nigerians in South Africa.
The Airline’s COO described the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa as an unfortunate event.
She said, “We cannot fold our hands and watch our fellow Nigerians being killed by South Africans.
“To this end, Air Peace is willing to support the Nigerian government‘s effort in this matter by deploying our B777 aircraft immediately to South Africa to evacuate Nigerians back home.”
Olajide said the Federal Government should ask the Nigerian Embassy and the South African Government to rescue stranded Nigerians by transporting them to the airport to enable the airline to evacuate them back to Nigeria.
The Chairman of the airline, Mr Allen Onyema, while sympathising with the Nigerian victims’ families who lost their lives and properties in the attacks, said Air Peace decided to bring back Nigerians in support of the action already taken by the Federal Government.
Onyeama was said to have welcomed the offer and said it would be a relief to the government and Nigerians who might be stranded in South Africa