Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The federal government has said that the 637 Nigerians, who arrived at the Egyptian border outpost of Aswan from the raging conflicts in Sudan, were undergoing documentation and clearance in Egypt before their eventual evacuation to Nigeria.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, and his Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development counterpart, Sadiya Umar Farouq, gave the Situation Room updates yesterday on the efforts to evacuate Nigerians entrapped in the crossfire in Sudan.
A joint statement by the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Janet Olisa, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, said the first batch of Nigerian evacuees is expected to be airlifted to Nigeria in the coming hours by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and Air Peace airline, who have been on standby for the operations.
It also said the movement of the second batch of 29 buses from Sudan commenced yesterday, Saturday, April 29, 2023.
The statement advised the evacuees to be at the designated locations with only one piece of luggage.
“Contrary to insinuations on social media, Embassy staff are very much on the ground in Khartoum to coordinate the evacuation exercise to the very end. The students and other Nigerians awaiting evacuation from Khartoum, Sudan are therefore advised to cooperate with them to ensure orderliness and proper documentation while embarking on the buses.
“This will go a long way in speeding up the process and avoiding unnecessary delays with documentation and clearance upon arrival at Aswan, Egypt. While the federal government empathises with affected Nigerians, maintaining order amidst the desperate situation remains crucial to getting all interested Nigerians out of the war zone in record time before the expiration of the ceasefire, which has been extended by 72 hours,” the statement said.
It also advised the general public to discountenance the trending news on social media concerning the fuse over the negotiated sum of $1.2 million for the buses hired for the exercise.
The two ministries decried the outcry as a creation of ignorance and sheer mischief that was needless, adding the amount in question was negotiated in a belligerent condition spiked by competing demands for the same bus services by other countries desperate to evacuate their citizens.
They appealed for cooperation and understanding of all and sundry to complement the ongoing efforts aimed at ensuring the safe return of every Nigerian trapped in Sudan.
The federal government also acknowledged the assistance rendered by Saudi Arabia towards the evacuation of eight Nigerians from Sudan to safety in its territory, from where they would be airlifted back to Nigeria.
