Sudan Crisis: Confusion As FG To Evacuate 2,987 Nigerians, Not 5,500

As of Saturday afternoon, the Federal Government of Nigeria has successfully evacuated 637 Nigerian evacuees out of war-torn Sudan back to the country.

A joint statement by the Federal Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development including a tweet by the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM revealed this.

On Saturday, the ministries stated that while Azman Airlines and Max Air are waiting in neighbouring Egypt to airlift about 850 remaining evacuees from Aswan, Egypt, “the evacuation exercise from Port Sudan will continue until the remaining 1,500 Nigerians are brought back home safely and in dignity.”

From the figures disclosed, it means the federal government is targeting to evacuate only 2,987 stranded Nigerians from Sudan.

The figure contradicts what Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama had given less than two weeks ago as the total number of citizens awaiting evacuation from the country.

When he appeared on Channels Television program in April 2023, Onyeama revealed that stranded Nigerians in Sudan were about 5,500.

“We have been given the cost estimate and all the details. They gave us a figure of 5,500 who are ready for evacuation.

“Obviously, what you need in a situation like this is a place where everybody can congregate before you start moving them out. Because the airports, as you pointed out in your report, is out of commission. The only viable way out is by road. Of course, it’s totally safe. So we want to require the government to provide some security and a safe corridor out,” he had said.

The federal government had also negotiated the sum of $1.2 million for the buses hired for the evacuation exercise from Sudan to Egypt’s border.

It had promised to get all “interested Nigerians” out of the war zone in record time even though a group from a section of the country had alleged their people were abandoned but that allegation was strongly debunked by the ministries.

Upon arrival to Abuja, the returnees were provided with food and drinks, while temporary accommodation is provided for those who need it.

“As part of their corporate social responsibility, the Dangote Foundation is supporting the evacuation exercise with survival kits and one hundred thousand Naira N100,000.00) as transportation fare to each returnee; while MTN is providing each returnee with a SIM card credited with N25,000.00 air time and 1.5 GB data.

“The federal government remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring the safe return of all affected Nigerians,” the statement partly reads on Saturday.