- Say, We ‘ve Been Left Stranded
By Abiola Olawale
As the skies over Iran rumble with the chaos of conflict, Nigerians stranded in the war-torn nation have cried out to the Federal government, claiming that despite its directive to the Nigerian embassy in Tehran to quickly evacuate Nigerians, officials of the Nigerian Mission have left many Nigerians stranded and abandoned.
The New Diplomat reports that the escalating violence, marked by missile barrages and airstrikes, has left thousands of foreign nationals, including Nigerians, trapped in a perilous situation, with many claiming their cries for help have gone unanswered by those meant to protect them.
In a viral video, one of the affected Nigerian citizens was seen apparently standing outside what seems to be the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran, expressing his disappointment and fear over the alleged conduct of diplomatic staff of the Nigerian Embassy in Tehren.
He said: “We are Nigerians, we just came to the Nigerian Embassy here in Tehran in respect to the situation as it has been informed that all residents of Tehran should be evacuated.
“And we came to the Nigerian embassy here, at least to see the staff or the ambassador, these are Nigerians also. Some of them have just left. You can see nobody at the Embassy to attend to us. We cannot see staff or Ambassador…”
Recall that this development is coming shortly after the Federal Government announced that it has finalized emergency evacuation plans for Nigerian citizens stranded in Israel and Iran following the recent escalation of hostilities between the two nations.
According to a statement released by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, Nigerian embassies in Tel Aviv and Tehran were advised to actively reach out to affected citizens and coordinate efforts to ensure their safe return to Nigeria.
In the statement, the Ministry also advised Nigerians in the affected regions to strictly adhere to local security protocols and contact the nearest Nigerian Embassy or Mission for registration and further instructions.
