MAIDUGURI, Nigeria

Nearly 200 nationals were lifted to Nigeria from South Africa because of increasing xenophobic attacks.

The Nigerian nationals arrived at Lagos International Airport at 9.35 p.m. (2035GMT).

Chairman of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the nationals began boarding in Johannesburg at about 9.30 a.m. Nigerian time but were delayed by South African immigration for 15 hours because of documentation.

"We have a total of 189 Nigerians in the first batch of the evacuation exercise," she told journalists.

She said earlier Tuesday about 640 nationals are expected in Nigeria in two batches. A private airline volunteered to airlift the fleeing nationals.

Nigeria President Mohammadu Buhari on Monday ordered the immediate evacuation of nationals from South Africa following anti-migrants attacks. Scores of shops owned by Nigerians were destroyed in the wake of the violence.