A new batch of 83 Nigerian nationals will arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, via South African Airways, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.

In a statement signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the returnees are expected to depart Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg at 3:35 p.m. local time and arrive in Lagos at approximately 8:45 p.m. the same day.

According to the ministry, the latest cohort of returnees is being facilitated through the kind intervention and sponsorship of air tickets by public-spirited private individuals, whose generosity the Federal Government acknowledged with profound gratitude.

The development follows the earlier conclusion of the government’s voluntary repatriation programme, which saw nearly 1,490 Nigerian citizens repatriated from South Africa amid rising Afrophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments in the country.

The ministry said the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, remained unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding the welfare and dignity of all Nigerians at home and abroad.

“In line with its Citizen Diplomacy agenda, the government views Nigerians in the diaspora not as a burden, but as critical assets for national development, and is dedicated to ensuring their protection and well-being.”

The ministry also extended special appreciation to the private individuals and philanthropists who had stepped forward to assist in the humanitarian effort.

It described their intervention as a sterling example of the “whole of society approach” and the public-private collaboration championed by the government in addressing challenges facing Nigerians abroad.

The ministry commended their patriotism and selflessness, saying their contributions had significantly alleviated the plight of Nigerians in South Africa.

It therefore called on the organised private sector, corporate organisations, state governments and other well-meaning Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to emulate the initiative.

“Our collective efforts will bolster our national capacity to respond to consular emergencies effectively.”

The government said it remained committed to deepening strategic partnerships with host nations, including South Africa, to address the root causes of Afrophobia and ensure that acts of violence and discrimination against Nigerians were prevented and strongly condemned when they occurred.

It added that perpetrators of such violence must be held accountable.

In a massive blow to criminal syndicates operating in Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has incinerated over 329,865 kilogrammes of illicit drugs valued at a staggering ₦301 billion.

The public destruction, carried out on Monday at Navy Town in the Ojo area of Lagos, was a court-ordered exercise designed to dispose of uncontested, concluded cases and abandoned seizures.

The massive haul comprised a dangerous mix of narcotics, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ephedrine, khat leaf, and various opioids such as tramadol and codeine syrup.

It also included several strains of cannabis, notably “Canadian Loud” and skunk.

The destroyed narcotics represent the culmination of intensive operations across Lagos between April 2025 and May 2026.

The Lagos Strategic Command of the NDLEA accounted for the bulk of the destruction, contributing 246,864.535 kilograms.

An additional 83,001.05 kilograms were intercepted by specialised units operating within the state, including the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Tincan and Apapa Strategic Commands, the Marine Command, and a Special Operations Unit.

‘Their Days Of Impunity Are Over’

Speaking at the incineration site, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the massive burn as a bold demonstration of Nigeria’s resolve to protect its citizens and cripple criminal enterprises.

“Wherever you hide, whoever sponsors you, and however sophisticated your network may be, the long arm of the law will reach you,” Marwa warned drug barons and financiers.

He emphasised that the destruction represents far more than just the elimination of contraband.

Beyond saving communities from addiction and impaired driving, Marwa noted that intercepting these shipments saves the nation billions of naira in healthcare costs, protects the labour force, and fortifies national security by cutting off funding for violent extremism and organised crime.

Cutting “Oxygen” Of Terrorism

The synergy between the NDLEA and other agencies was a major focal point of the event, drawing commendations from top government and security officials.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, called the 300-ton destruction a “sobering reminder of the enormity of the threat” posed by illicit drugs.

He reaffirmed the state’s unwavering resolve to confront drug abuse head-on alongside federal agencies.

The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, highlighted the direct correlation between the multibillion-naira drug trade and the rise of violent non-state actors in the country.

“Bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, insurgents, terrorists—this is their oxygen,” Adeniyi stated. “The destruction we are witnessing today is symbolic of two things: drug dealers are losing investments worth billions of naira, and we are denying non-state violent actors the necessary oxygen they need for their heinous crimes.”

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha, also pledged the military’s continued backing of the NDLEA’s nationwide anti-narcotics crusade.

Campaigns for the January 16 Presidential election officially kick off tomorrow in line with the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A recent survey by The Nation indicated that leading political parties – the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) – are not ready yet to go on the stump, nor are smaller parties.

Campaigns into National Assembly offices will also open tomorrow. The elections will be held on the same day as the presidential poll.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC) is being challenged by Peter Obi (NDC), Atiku Abubakar (ADC) and 16 others.

“We are not ready to be on the move for five months. It is expensive, energy-sapping and laborious,” a top official of one of the top parties said last night.

So far, none of the parties has set up campaign committees or released schedules of activities for the campaigns.

The campaign for the presidential and National Assembly elections is the sixth item on the timetable and schedule of activities released by the Commission.

It is in line with the provisions of Section 98(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides that campaigns by every political party shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours before that day.

Campaigns for governorship and Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for February 6 next year would kick off on September 9.

The parties have up to August 22 to substitute any of their candidates that withdraw from the contest in line with Section 31 of the Electoral Act.

According to INEC, the parties have till August 29 to submit candidates’ nomination forms (Form 13A to E) in accordance with Section 30 (1).

The final list of nominated candidates is expected to be published by the Commission on September 12 in accordance with Section 32(1), which provides for the publication, at least, 60 days before the election.

A member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of a major opposition party, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said party leaders are not in a hurry to begin campaigns.

He said: “We have a five-month window. The party leaders are planning a meeting for the end of the month to discuss the campaign plan.”

A governorship candidate on the platform of the APC, who said campaigns require planning, said the long period allotted to campaigns can induce stress.

He said: “Five months for campaigns? It will overstretch us.”

APC will unveil plan, says Morka

APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, told reporters that plans are underway to unveil a detailed, nationwide campaign programme later in the month.

He clarified that while the August 19 date marks the legal commencement of the campaign window, it is not a mandatory requirement for parties to launch rallies immediately.

Morka stressed: “August 19 is the date fixed by INEC for all parties to start the presidential and National Assembly campaign.

“There is no law that we must start on that day. The only thing is, no political party is permitted to start ahead of the day.”

Morka, who spoke with reporters after the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting yesterday at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, said the ruling party is deliberately structuring its strategy before hitting the podium.

He said APC would consult and plan well before embarking on the campaign journey.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed told a delegation from the International Republican Institute that the party is ready for the polls.

He said: “We are PDP, and we belong to the people of Nigeria, and our yearning and aspiration is to give responsible leadership to the electorate.

“That is why, for over 20-something years, the party remained democratic, and is in all the 36 states, FCT and 774 local governments of Nigeria. I want to assure you that the PDP is fully ready for the election.”

LP to campaign on NLC, TUC platforms

The Labour Party (LP) said it would leverage its relationship with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to mobilise voters and strengthen its grassroots campaigns.

National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, said the party is prepared to face the electorate, adding that it has developed “a formidable organisational structure, an energised membership base, and a credible presidential candidate.”

He also described the party’s governorship and House of Assembly candidates as people of integrity and acceptability, adding that their credibility would attract votes.

Asogwa said the LP’s advantage lies in its institutional relationship with organised labour.

He added: “As we have consistently maintained, the Labour Party is today the most structured political party in Nigeria.

“The Party is unique among all political parties because the NLC and the TUC are its institutional members. There is hardly any polling unit, ward, local government or community in Nigeria that does not have a serving or retired civil servant.

“No other political party, including the APC, can genuinely boast of such an extensive nationwide structure.

“We never harnessed this potential in the past, but today the present leadership of the Party has gone to marry the Labour Unions in a manner never seen before,” he said.

He said the party would now deploy the strength of the labour unions and its grassroots network to sell its candidates and policies to Nigerians.

Asogwa expressed optimism that the electoral body would publish the names of LP governorship and House of Assembly candidates.

He said the party had complied with INEC’s deadline by uploading the names of its candidates before the closure of the submission window.

Asogwa added: “We are hopeful that all our candidates for governorship and state Houses of Assembly will be published by the electoral body, just as they did with our Presidential and National Assembly candidates.

“Gladly, we were able to beat the deadline set by the Commission by ensuring all our candidates’ names were uploaded before the closure of the window.”