By Charles Adingupu
No fewer than 767 Nigerians trapped in the ongoing Sudan’s civil war would be expected to arrive the country tomorrow, Friday, 28th April, 2023.
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa who made the announcement at the 70th session of the State House Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, disclosed that about 13 buses ferrying Nigerian students to the Aswan border in Egypt have departed Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.
The first batch of Nigerian evacuees upon arrival at the Egyptian Border town would be airlifted to Nigeria.
Dabiri-Erewa stated that already, the Nigerian embassy in Sudan has informed the Army and the Rapid Support Forces ahead to ensure safe passage for the evacuees.
However, she noted that logistics challenges escalated when more Nigerians who had not been earlier documented for the exercise suddenly expressed interest to return home upon sighting some of the 40 busses.
Dabiri-Erewa revealed that although at least 5,500 Nigerian students are currently schooling in Sudan, the Nigerian population in the Horn country is about three million.
Speaking after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said the evacuation process is part of the government’s effort to repatriate Nigerian citizens stranded there since fighting broke out between the Military and the Rapid Support Forces on April 15.
