Sudan Crisis: 1,500 Nigerian evacuees will arrive Abuja today – FG

The Federal Government has confirmed that the first batch of Nigerians evacuated from Sudan will arrive in Abuja on Friday, April 28 (today).

This was confirmed by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in a chat with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, April 27.

“As I speak to you, we’re expecting about 1,500 Nigerians.

“And also, Air Peace will be leaving tonight (Thursday night) from Nigeria to pick them up from Egypt and bring them back safely to Nigeria by tomorrow (today),” she said.

She said over three million Nigerians were residing in Sudan and efforts were being made to evacuate as many as possible if the war persisted, adding that priority would be on children, students and women, reports Daily Trust.

She said: “All in all, 13 buses have departed for Aswan border in Egypt where they’ll be received by the Nigerian Ambassador there and the Director-General of NEMA, Habib Ahmed, who is already there with some officials.”

Speaking yesterday on Sunrise Daily, a Channels TV programme, Dabiri-Erewa, said universities in Nigeria had made offers to admit Nigerian students returning from Sudan.

Drivers of the first batch of five buses conveying Nigerian students that left Khartoum on Wednesday abandoned them in the desert for hours over issues relating to payments.

However, the National Emergency Management Agency said all issues had been resolved.

Some parents of the involved students, who received their WhatsApp audio and video messages, shared same with Daily Trust.