The Federal Government (FG) has confirmed plans to evacuate Nigerians stranded in crisis-hit Sudan. Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama in a media chat disclosed various strategies the FG has put in place to ensure safe evacuation. Also, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the evacuation plans which will commence as soon as Tuesday morning. According to Mr Onyeama, the FG have have been "working round the clock" to ensure safe evacuations.
He added that part of the evacuation strategy necessitates that Nigerians there should properly register with the country's embassy in Sudan.
He noted that the only viable way to evacuate citizens is by road, as the airport in Sudan is out of commission. He however disclosed that the road "is not totally safe so you are going to require the government to provide some security and a safe corridor out.”
Before concluding, he assured that “we are doing everything we can to get the requisite approval from the Sudanese government." He then went on to conclude that if "authorisation from the Sudanese government come through and for them to provide some security,” evacuation could start within 48 hours.
Likewise, NEMA in accordance with what the Foreign Affairs Minister noted, affirmed the evacuation plan. Director, of Special Duties, Onimode Bandele disclosed that “It is true that there are plans to get buses to start moving tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. And as I speak to you, the Director General of, the National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Habib, is already in Cairo because that is the window that we are looking at.”
“Our projection was that most students and others who want to evacuate are about 5,000. But with my discussion with the ambassador this morning, the plan is for about 2,650-2,800 to move immediately, including families of embassy staff.
“As these plans continue, we’ll be able to update you with the actual figure and the exact time of departure from Khartoum to Cairo,” he said.