637 Nigerians evacuated from Sudan arrive Egypt

The evacuees are said to be undergoing necessary documentation and clearance before admission into the Egyptian territory after which they would be airlifted to Nigeria.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development announced this in a joint statement on Saturday, April 29, 2023.

In the statement signed by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, MFA, Amb. Janet Olisa, and Permanent Secretary, FMHADMSD, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the FG also announced that the second batch of the evacuation operation would continue on Saturday with the remaining 29 buses.

The government, therefore, urged Nigerians awaiting evacuation from Khartoum in Sudan to stay at designated locations with only one luggage.

The statement reads, “The evacuees are advised to be at the designated locations with only one 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 in order 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 empathizes 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 government also advised Nigerians to ignore unverified claims about the evacuation exercise, adding that the outcry over the sum of $1.2 million spent to hire 40 buses for the evacuation of Nigerians is uncalled for. 

“The general public is also advised to discountenance unverified information being circulated on social media as some of them are either due to ignorance or sheer mischief. The outcry over the negotiated sum of $1.2 million for the buses hired for the exercise, is uncalled for. The amount in question was negotiated in a condition of war and where there are competing demands for same bus services by other countries also trying to evacuate their citizens. 

Therefore, cooperation and understanding of all and sundry are required to complement ongoing efforts aimed at ensuring the safe return of every Nigerian trapped in Sudan”, the statement read.

The Federal Government of Nigeria seizes this opportunity to extend appreciation to friendly countries who have in one way or the other assisted in bringing succour to Nigerians fleeing the war in Sudan.

The FG also thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for assisting with the evacuation of eight Nigerians from Sudan to safety in its territory.

The statement concluded that the the first batch of Nigerians who have arrived in Egypt would be airlifted to Nigeria in the coming hours by the Nigerian Air Force and Air Peace airline, who have been on standby for the operations.