…Relief Agency says Without Passports they Cannot be Evacuated
By Charles Adingupu
As Nigeria rounds off the evacuation of its citizens from war torn Sudan, no fewer than 160 women claiming Nigerian citizenship may be abandoned there because they have no Nigerian passports.
This development comes as authorities congratulate themselves for a successful operation which required them to liaise with the Egyptian government to allow officials meet Nigerians caught in the crossfire at the Egyptian border for onwards transportation home.
The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed said that the 160 Women claiming to be Nigerians in Sudan have no passports and could not get in any flight to Nigeria.
Mr Ahmed who made this disclosure in Abuja on Sunday while briefing the press on the progress recorded thus far in the evacuation of stranded Nigerians in war-ravaged Sudan, said the Agency is being careful not to evacuate persons who are not NIgerians.
According to him, although, the women claimed to be Nigerians, they do not possess Nigerian passports to verify their claims.
It will be recalled that before the commencement of the evacuation exercise, the Nigerian Diaspora Commission had said there were about three million Nigerians in Sudan and a total of 5,000 students.
However, the NEMA boss said apart from the 2,518 Nigerians that have so far been evacuated in the 15 flights operated so far, the citizenship of many of those claiming to be Nigerians cannot be verified.
He said some of them claimed their great-grandparents up to the fifth generation were Nigerians while they were born in Sudan but that claim is unverifiable.
He disclosed how some desperate Sudanese tried to enter the vehicles that were meant to move Nigerians from Sudan to Egypt border.
Asked how much was expended to evacuate Nigerians from Sudan, Mr Ahmed could not approximate the amount of money but he disclosed that Nigeria paid a total of $22,662million as exit fees at the point of moving the evacuees from Sudan and $62,950 dollars for entry visa into Egypt.
Meanwhile, NEMA said the door of opportunity is open to any Nigerian with verified documents who is interested in returning to the country.
Among the 2,518 Nigerian returnees is a pregnant woman who was said to have given birth while waiting to be evacuated. Her child was the only infant among the evacuees. The eight-day infant is currently being treated for jaundice at the University Of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada.
No Nigerian life was lost to the war in Sudan, according to NEMA.
However, a total of 23 sick evacuees were received, out of which 10 were treated on arrival by medics while 13 were referred to the 108 Nigerian Airforce Hospital, Abuja.
