By Abiola Olawale
Ethiopian authorities have denied passage to some Nigerian students fleeing the conflict zone in Sudan.
The Director, Special Duties, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) who doubles as the Agency’s Committee for the Evacuation of Stranded Nigerians from Sudan, Dr. Onimode Bandele who made this disclosure on Monday during an interview with members of the Press.
Bandele assured that the Nigerian authorities in Ethiopia were already addressing the issue as they had sought clearance for the fleeing students.
He, however, noted that it was too risky for the students to have embarked on such adventure without escort.
In his words, “Yeah, you must have been reading on social media that some students got into a town at the border of Ethiopia and they have not been able to grant them passage.
“The Nigerian Ambassador in Egypt, Nura Rimi, confirmed to me that the Ambassador in Ethiopia is working on that, and hopefully they should be able to get a passage.
Bandele also disclosed that the Nigerian authorities have waded into the situation and will ensure the easy passage of the citizens..
He continued, “In our own humanitarian assignment, self-evacuation is at the risk of the person that is involved. If you decide to self-evacuate, whatever you meet is your headache, because you did not listen to the authorities that are supposed to cater for you.
“We empathise with them; we understand their situation; some of them are doing that out of panic or running to safety. But at the same time, self-evacuation has its own disadvantages.
“So, our appeal to Nigerians is that wherever they are, they should please wait for further instruction from the Federal Government, especially the ambassador that is with them in Sudan. He is there with his family too. It is not that he has run out and left them,” Bandele added.
