The Federal Government has announced the procurement of 40 buses for the evacuation of Nigerians stranded in war-torn Sudan.
Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, revealed this on Wednesday, saying the buses will cost the nation $1.2 million.
During a press conference following the Federal Executive Council meeting, Onyeama stated that the government will evacuate residents within days of Sudan’s 72-hour ceasefire.
He claims that the government has finished talks with the Sudanese government and that they are on the same page.
He said during the evacuation, priority will not be accorded any diplomat, adding that the government will also prioritise women and children.
Affirming that no Nigerian life has been lost so far, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada stated that the first batch of Nigerians are being conveyed as of the time of filing this report, noting that citizens will be conveyed via buses through Egypt and consequently airlifted.
He also added that some Nigerians had already been transported to Saudi Arabia for airlifting.
The comments by the two ministers come a few hours after the first batch of buses for the evacuation of Nigerian students from Sudan arrived at the pickup points.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) said on Wednesday that the buses arrived on Tuesday night with more buses expected to arrive on Wednesday with help from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan.