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The Federal Government on Saturday, said that the first group of 13 buses carrying 637 refugees had reached the designated safe borders in Aswan, Egypt.
The top government stated that the 637 Nigerians were undertaking the required paperwork and clearance before being admitted into Egyptian territory in preparation for their eventual evacuation to Nigeria.
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly released a statement on Saturday informing the public of this.
Permanent Secretary, FMHADMSD, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, and Director in charge of the Office of the Permanent Secretary, MFA, Amb. Janet Olisa, both signed the statement.
The second batch of 29 buses, which will start travelling on Saturday (today), was also announced by the administration.
The statement read, “The evacuees are advised to be at the designated locations with only one luggage. Contrary to insinuations on social media, Embassy staff are very much on the ground in Khartoum to coordinate the evacuation exercise to the very end.
“The students and other Nigerians awaiting evacuation from Khartoum, Sudan are, therefore, advised to cooperate with them in order to ensure orderliness and proper documentation while embarking on the buses. This will go a long way in speeding up the process and avoiding unnecessary delays with documentation and clearance upon arrival at Aswan, Egypt.
“While the Federal Government empathizes with affected Nigerians, maintaining order amidst the desperate situation remains crucial to getting all interested Nigerians out of the war zone in record time before the expiration of the ceasefire, which has been extended by 72 hours.
“The general public is also advised to discountenance unverified information being circulated on social media as some of them are either due to ignorance or sheer mischief. The outcry over the negotiated sum of $1.2 million for the buses hired for the exercise, is uncalled for. The amount in question was negotiated in a condition of war and where there are competing demands for same bus services by other countries also trying to evacuate their citizens. Therefore, cooperation and understanding of all and sundry are required to complement ongoing efforts aimed at ensuring the safe return of every Nigerian trapped in Sudan.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria seizes this opportunity to extend appreciation to friendly countries who have in one way or the other assisted in bringing succour to Nigerians fleeing the war in Sudan. Particularly, Nigeria acknowledges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for graciously assisting with the evacuation of eight Nigerians from Sudan to safety in its territory, from where they would be airlifted back to Nigeria.
“In the time being, the first batch of Nigerian evacuees who have arrived Aswan are expected to be airlifted to Nigeria in the coming hours by the Nigerian Air Force and Air Peace airline, who have been on standby for the operations.”
