First Batch Of 376 Nigerians Evacuated From Sudan Arrive Abuja [Photos]

The First batch of Nigerians evacuated from Sudan through Egypt, has arrived in Nigeria amid cheers and relief from family members and government officials.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the evacuees arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Wednesday night at aboard a Nigerian Airforce plane and Air Peace Aircraft.

While receiving the evacuees at the Airport, the Director of Migration, National Commission for Refugees, Migrant and Internally Displaced Displaced Persons, Mrs. Catherine Udida, said 94 evacuees were flown in by the Airforce plane C130, while Air Peace had 282 evacuees.

The chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in her reaction, said it was a huge relief to receive the returnees, bearing in mind what they went through in Sudan.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib, security officials as well as some family members were at the General Aviation Termal of the airport to receive the returnees.

Farouq said the government of Nigeria is happy “that all of them are back safely, no lives lost which is the most important thing and all of the efforts put in place have not gone in vain.”

She added that the evacuees will receive dignity packs and 100,000 naira transportation fare supported by the Dangote Foundation. They will also receive N25,000 worth of call voucher and data bundle (1.5gb) from MTN.

The Nigerians, according to sources were happy to be back home after the harrowing experience on their way to the Egyptian border as well as the difficulties and frustration they faced at the border.

The crisis in Sudan has so far led to the death of nearly 600 people and displaced thousands of others as many countries have evacuated their citizens from the beleaguered country.

KanyiDaily recalls that the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) had dismissed the rumours of ethnic bias during the evacuation of Nigerians stranded in Sudan.