First evacuated Nigerians from Sudan expected on Friday – FG

 

If plans go as scheduled, the first batch of Nigerians evacuated from war-torn Sudan by the Federal Government should arrive the country on Friday, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM) Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stated on Thursday.

Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa, who announced this while appearing on the weekly Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team, also said 5,500 Nigerians, schooling in Sudan, would be evacuated from Sudan due to the escalating war in the country.

According to the NIDCOM Chairman, 13 buses have departed from two universities in Khartoum, carrying Nigerian students to the Aswan border in Egypt where they will be airlifted to Nigeria. 

However, she highlighted the challenge of more Nigerians expressing interest in returning home than previously indicated.

The evacuation process is part of the government’s effort to repatriate Nigerian citizens stranded in the war-torn county.

She said: “We have some buses that have departed from the African International University in Khartoum, Sudan and as I speak, I think they are just about two hours away from Aswan in Cairo. 

“Others departed from the Elrazi University also in Khartoum. All in all, 13 buses have departed for Aswan border in Egypt where they will be received by the Nigerian Ambassador there and the Director-General of the National emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Habib Ahmed, who is already there with some officials.”

She said it was time for Nigeria to focus more on Nigerians in Sudan and other parts of Africa because there are many of them residing in other African countries.

Dabiri-Erewa said as the evacuees return to Nigeria, they will be given some stipends to help them settle down before joining their families.

“NEMA will decide what would be given to the returnees because the funding is with the Ministry of Humanitarian affairs and Disaster Management. Usually is just a little amount. The last one we gave them we evacuated people, we gave them $100. So, it depends on the budget they have.

“But we in NIDCOM give them recharge cards, SIM cards and sometimes phones. Usually they get $100 just to hold and these are students coming back to their families. They are not refugees, they have homes,” she stressed.