The first batch of about 160 stranded Nigerians who were locked down by the COVID-19 global pandemic in the United States are set to arrive in Nigeria today.
The group would make the third batch of Nigerians to enjoy similar gesture from the federal government to be evacuated because of the coronavirus lockdown.
The second batches were the 253 persons who were evacuated on May 8, from the United Kingdom and were brought into Murtala Mohammed International airport Lagos.
They came in shortly after the first batch from Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) were flown in via the country’s Emirate Airlines.
NAN reports that 160 Nigerians, including eight infants, made the first batch.
The deal was part of the arrangement made by the Federal Government with a foreign government to evacuate Nigerians who were stranded in the foreign land due to the COVID-19 measures.
To ensure none of them was carrying the disease, a special medical team is being engaged by the federal government to subject them to test on arrival.
The plane which departs the Newark International Airport, New Jersey, on Saturday 8:20 pm local time (1:20 am Nigerian time on Sunday).
The plane is expected to arrive Nigeria this afternoon, and in line with the protocols of the COVID-19, all of them would be quarantined for 14days in Abuja before they would be allowed to join their respective families.
Their departures at the Jersey airport were coordinated by Nigerian officials lead by, Mr Benaoyagha Okoyen, a Nigerian consulate in New York.
Ambassador Tijjani Mohammad-Bande, President of the United Nations General Assembly who is also a permanent representative of Nigeria at the UN was also present.
Addressing the evacuees, Mr Okoyen applauded the evacuees for their cooperation throughout the process of making arrangements.
In his statement, he said, “It was successful and we are happy that everything was orderly.
As you must have observed, the boarding was also orderly,” he said.
Some of the evacuees could not hide their joy when they were set to return home, as some of them speak to NAN correspondence.
Dr Jatto Ibrahim, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon serving at the Federal Medical Centre in Jigawa state said he was in the United States for a training program and was set to return since April 10, however, only to be locked out when the Federal Government suspended all international flights into the country.
Meanwhile, Dr Iwuozo Obilo, a US-based Nigerian Medical Doctor, who was part of the screening team said all the passengers' temperature was normal.
