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Tag: Evacuation

  • Sudan crisis: FG closes situation room on Evacuation Exercise

    Sudan crisis: FG closes situation room on Evacuation Exercise

    The Federal Government has announced the closure of its situation room on the evacuation of stranded Nigerian students in the war-torned Sudan.

    It, however, said that attention would now shift to repatrating other Nigerians resident in Sudan.

    Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Chairman of the Situation Room, disclosed this on Monday while briefing newsmen in Abuja.

    Gwarzo said that government has set up committee for a rescue operations to assist in repatriating other Nigerians residence in Sudan that wish to return home.

    ”We recognise the presence of other Nigerians in Sudan, such as recent travellers and long-established families who desire to return home.

    ”The ministry has established a dedicated committee to facilitate their repatriation, replicating the successful efforts made for the students.

    ”As the evacuation operation concludes, the Situation Room responsible for its oversight is officially close today.

    ”Although a standby team will remain prepared for any future emergencies,” he said.

    The Permanent Secretary encouraged students to report any of their colleagues who may have been missed during the evacuation.

    ”An inspiring example of the operation’s effectiveness lies in the story of a young girl with chronic asthma, unintentionally left behind due to hospitalisation.

    ”Through diligent efforts, she was located and successfully brought back to Nigeria in one of the final evacuation flights, underscoring the operation’s efficacy.

    ”Majority of Nigerians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia have already been repatriated from Sudan with only 13 individuals remaining, and prompt efforts are underway to bring them home.

    ”In N’djamena, Chad and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, all Nigerians have returned, except for Nine and seven individuals respectively, who will soon reunite with their families.

    ”Notably, all 800 travelers who transited through Egypt have successfully returned home,” he said.

    Gwarzo said that the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan has actively profiled these individuals and has established a committee dedicated to facilitating their safe passage to Nigeria.

    ”While the exact number of those awaiting repatriation remains undisclosed, the committee has already begun assessing logistics and examining necessary paperwork.

    ”To streamline the process, Port Sudan has been designated as the official collection center, and we advise all evacuees to relocate there,” he said.

    He said that the successful evacuation exercise of 2,518 stranded Nigerians from Sudan was a testament to the government’s commitment to the welfare and well-being of Nigerian citizens abroad.

  • 2,246 Nigerians evacuated from Sudan – NiDCOM

    2,246 Nigerians evacuated from Sudan – NiDCOM

    Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says a total of 2,246 Nigerians have so far been evacuated from Sudan.

    Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NiDCOM, Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stated this on Friday in Abuja, while giving updates on the Federal Government’s evacuation efforts since May 3.

    He said on May 3, 94 evacuees, comprising 78 males and 16 females, boarded NAF C130 plane, while 274 boarded Air Peace plane from Aswan Airport, Egypt.

    Balogun said on May 5, 130 Nigerians also boarded Tarco Airline, while on May 6, 131 evacuees boarded the same airline from Port Sudan, with 102 boarding the same airline from Port Sudan on Sunday.

    He further said 410 Nigerians boarded Max Air and 322 Azman Air, both flights from Aswan Airport on Sunday.

    Balogun said two flights from Tarco Airline evacuated 133 passengers, with seven children and nine infants, and 126 passengers, also with 12 children and 41 infants, from Port Sudan on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

    He further stated that 123 Nigerians boarded Tarco Airline on Wednesday from Port Sudan, while 136 boarded the same airline on Thursday.

    He, however, said that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was expected to give the details of the 264 passengers aboard Tarco Airline as well as the 128 and 136 evacuees in separate flights.

    Meanwhile, the NiDCOM Chairman, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, received the Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, in her office in Abuja.

    Ikechukwu expressed his university’s willingness to absorb some of the students recently evacuated from Sudan and give them concessions in the area of tuition.

  • Sudan: First set of Nigeria evacuees to arrive today

    Sudan: First set of Nigeria evacuees to arrive today

    The first batch of stranded Nigerians in Sudan have been evacuated by the Federal Government and are expected to arrive in Abuja today.

    This is according to a statement issued by Mr. Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) on Thursday.

    The information was given at a State House briefing by Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, NiDCOM.

    Dabiri-Erewa said a total of 13 out of the 40 buses hired to transport Nigerians from Sudan already left since Wednesday and moved by road to the border town of Aswan in Egypt.

    Members of staff of the embassy in Egypt and the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA), Mr Mustapha Habeeb-Muhammed received the evacuees.

    She said 10 of those buses transported Nigerians from Universities in Khartoum while the remaining three buses were dispatched to El- Razi University to convey them to the town in Egypt.

    On allegations of segregation and discrimination in the evacuation process, she explained that children and women were given priority as they were profiled for administrative purposes.

    The NiDCOM boss said a Boeing 777 from Airpeace would depart Lagos by evening of Thursday and would transport the first batch home on Friday.

    She also assured all Nigerians that all those who registered to be evacuated home would be facilitated irrespective of status, gender, and state.

    Dabiri-Erewa clarified that besides the huge population of Nigeria students in Sudan, there were millions of other Nigerians in the country doing their legitimate business and residing there peacefully.

    She allayed the fears of being attacked by the warlords, saying the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, already secured the understanding of the two warlords before the transportation of Nigerians by road.

  • UK: Sudan evacuation ‘potentially impossible’ once ceasefire ends

    UK: Sudan evacuation ‘potentially impossible’ once ceasefire ends

    British evacuation efforts in Sudan will be “potentially impossible” once a ceasefire ends, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.

    Cleverly said there is no guarantee of further evacuation flights once an agreed halt in fighting expires on Thursday night.

    It comes as the government faces domestic and international criticism over its response.

    The British evacuation mission from the African country has seen 536 people taken to safety on six flights so far, according to the latest official figures.

    “We cannot predict exactly what will happen when that ceasefire ends but what we do know is it will be much, much harder, potentially impossible,” he said.

    “So what we’re saying to British nationals is if you’re hesitant, if you’re weighing up your options, our strong, strong advice is to go through Wadi Saeedna whilst the ceasefire is up and running.

    “There are planes, there is capacity, we will lift you out. I’m not able to make those same assurances once a ceasefire has ended.”

    More than 2,000 British nationals in Sudan have registered with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) under evacuation plans, but thousands more could be in the war-torn nation.

    “There are concerns the evacuation efforts have seen families split up or some members left behind.’’

  • Time running out for Nigerians trapped in Sudan as rescue efforts remain slow

    Time running out for Nigerians trapped in Sudan as rescue efforts remain slow

    Thousands of foreigners, including at least 10, 000 Nigerian students and over five million Sudanese of Nigerian origin, have remained trapped in Sudan, Northeastern Africa, a week after intense fighting between two rival forces broke out.

    The fighting between the Sudanese armed forces, led by Abdelfattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, is tearing apart cities and towns across the country, including the capital Khartoum.

    Evacuation efforts have been difficult as the airport in the Sudanese capital has been repeatedly targeted.

    Respite came on Saturday after some foreign countries like the United States and Saudi Arabia began evacuating their citizens and the Nigerian Government says it is also exploring all avenues to ensure the safe return of its stranded citizens.

    The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, expressed concern about the safety of Nigerian residents in Sudan, adding that the Agency was coordinating with all relevant partners to constantly evaluate the situation and explore the safest means to rescue those stranded.

    “The current emergency in Sudan is very complex with fighting between warring factions going on and all airports and land borders closed.

    “The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA is working assiduously with all its partners and is constantly compiling updated information on the situation,” Ahmed said.

    The president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Sudan (NANSS), Abubakar Babangida, warned that “any delay would lead to unpredictable casualties”.

    More than 330 people have been killed so far in the violent power struggle and at least 3,200 people were injured.

    Chairperson and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has urged all Nigerian Students in Sudan as well as Nigerians living in Sudan to be security conscious and calm.

    Meanwhile, Sudan’s RSF announced a 72-hour truce on humanitarian grounds, effective from Friday morning, providing the opportunity for countries to evacuate their citizens.

    The Sudanese army said on Saturday that it would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens, which it considers as “brotherly and friendly”.

    Nigeria-Sudan diplomatic relations were established since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, and both countries have continued to explore ways to deepen cooperation in order to achieve more meaningful growth.

    Earlier in the year, the Sudanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mohamed Abdelmannan, said plans were ongoing to establish direct passenger and cargo flights from Khartoum to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital and licence has been issued to a Nigerian carrier, Nissers Sky AirPower, to fly the route.

  • We have evacuated all trapped passengers in Kaduna-bound train – Kaduna govt

    We have evacuated all trapped passengers in Kaduna-bound train – Kaduna govt

    The Kaduna State Government says the evacuation of passengers trapped in the Kaduna-bound train from Abuja has been concluded this morning by security forces.

    The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, stated in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kaduna.

    He said that officials of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Nigerian Red Cross were part of the evacuation of the victims.

    Aruwan said the passengers who sustained injuries and other fatalities had also been moved to hospitals.

    He disclosed that the passengers were evacuated from different hard-to-reach areas in forests and rocky locations in Audujongom, off the Kaduna-Abuja road.

    “As stated on Monday, the Kaduna State Government is still liaising with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to ascertain the list from the passengers manifest for efficient tracking,” he said.

    The Commissioner said Gov. Nasir El-Rufai who commended all those who participated in the evacuation process also appealed to the hospitals to attend to the victims diligently.

    He said the governor also directed the Ministry of Health to be in contact with the hospitals as government will bear the cost of their treatments.

    “As of the time of this update, search-and-rescue operations are in progress,” Aruwan said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a passenger train heading to Kaduna from Abuja was attacked by some criminal elements late hours on Monday night where some passengers were injured.

  • Second batch of Nigerian evacuees from Poland arrive Abuja

    Second batch of Nigerian evacuees from Poland arrive Abuja

    Nigerian evacuees from Ukraine via Poland

    The second flight from Poland with 123 persons, including an infant on board Air Peace, landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Intl. Airport Friday at about 1:20 a.m. local time.

    They were received by the Head, Technology Transfer and Innovation at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Terab Abdulrahman and officials of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies who welcomed them home.

    A third evacuation flight will depart Budapest, Hungary to Abuja at 8:00am on Saturday. Interested Nigerians fleeing Ukraine are advised to contact the Nigerian embassy in Ukraine for necessary arrangements.

    Nigerian and Ukrainian governments Wednesday overcame initial political and logistical challenges to commence the safe evacuation of stranded students in Sumy, a city in the far north-eastern part of Ukraine within the Central Russian Upland.

    So far a total number of 1,076 Nigerians fleeing the crisis in Ukraine -415 persons from Bucharest Romania, 181 persons from Warsaw Poland and 480 persons from Budapest Hungary – have been evacuated back to Nigeria.

  • Russian invasion: Fourth batch of Nigerians arrives in Abuja from Ukraine

    Russian invasion: Fourth batch of Nigerians arrives in Abuja from Ukraine

    The fourth batch of 306 Nigerians fleeing from the war in Ukraine has arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja from Budapest, Hungary.

    The evacuees arrived via Air Peace Airline at 12:35 a.m on Sunday.

    The stranded Nigerians were successfully evacuated following the intervention of the Federal Government with the cooperation of governments of countries neighbouring Ukraine.

    Welcoming the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved that $100 be given to each of them.

    Ahmed, represented by Air Commodore Edward Adedokun, Director, Search and Rescue, NEMA, added that the money was meant to assist them with their transportation to their various locations.

    He said that a one-night accommodation arrangement had been made for the returnees to rest before continuing their journey to their homes, while those whose relatives had come for them were free to go home.

    NEMA staff along with representatives of other agencies involved in the reception at the airport, were on ground to receive the returnees.

  • Ukraine crisis: Second, third batches of stranded Nigerians arrive in Abuja

    Ukraine crisis: Second, third batches of stranded Nigerians arrive in Abuja

    The second and third batches of Nigerians stranded as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war have arrived in Nigeria, via the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the second batch arrived in Abuja through Poland and the third batch arrived through Hungary.

    The second batch of Nigerians arrived at 6:30 pm local time from Warsaw, while the third batch of Nigerians arrived at about 11:50 pm local time from Budapest on Friday.

    Many Nigerians had fled to neighbouring countries following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which began on February 24.

    Earlier on Friday, the first batch of stranded Nigerians arrived in Abuja from Ukraine through Romania with a Max Air plane.

    The latest evacuation flight makes it the third to have delivered Nigerians back to the country since the evacuation operation began.

    See photos below:

  • BREAKING: FG gives Ukraine returnees $100 each

    BREAKING: FG gives Ukraine returnees $100 each

    The Federal Government on Friday gave all returnees from Ukraine $100 (about N48,000) to ameliorate their sufferings.

    This is contained in a statement by Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Head of Media and Public Relations, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abuja.

    The first batch of 450 Nigerians stranded in Ukraine returned home from Romania through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    Balogun said that the returnees, mostly students, arrived Nigeria with Max Air flight 747 at 7:10 a.m.

    He however, said that the evacuees from Poland could not return on Thursday because their flight was rescheduled for Friday, to arrive Abuja at 2.30p.m

    He added that Airpeace left on Thursday to pick the passengers from Hungary, and was expected to arrive Abuja at 4.30p.m.