By Kasim Sumaina
The 160 Nigerians evacuated from the United States by the federal government on Saturday arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja yesterday.
They were evacuated with an aircraft, a 270-passenger-capacity Boeing 787 flight Number ET 509 with registration number ET-AOQ , which departed Newark (EWR) Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Saturday and arrived at the Federal Capital Territory at about 11:05 a.m. yesterday.
The returnees were later taken to various locations for their isolation programme in seven buses and well spaced out in the buses to ensure compliance with social distancing.
Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, Mr. James Odaudu, while speaking with THISDAY through a telephone interview, said though the federal government had banned international flight, the exigency of the moment necessitated the approval of evacuation from both countries.
He explained: “The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 is fully in charge, while the evacuation is being conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The role Ministry of Aviation is playing in this regard is to provide the facilities for them to land as the operators of the airport.
“The arrangements to bring them and to the airline are being handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“While the Ministry of Health and the NCDC officials are of course on the ground for testing and evacuation of the Returnees to Isolation centres.”
The Consulate General of Nigeria in New York had on behalf of the Nigerian Missions in the US, recently confirmed the one-way flight being arranged for the evacuation of Nigerians in the US to Abuja.
