Sudan: FG Says All Nigerians Have Been Evacuated

The federal government announced on Friday that it had successfully evacuated all willing Nigerians out of Sudan and back to Nigeria by airlift.

However, the government announced that a mop-up team would be stationed in Sudan to round up anyone who planned to flee the nation following the ongoing civil war with the aim of returning home.

The government made its announcement as another group of returnees, totalling 130, landed at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport on Friday at 3:45 pm aboard TARCO Airlines B737-300 aircraft. The evacuees from Port Sudan were flown, comprising 128 women and two males.

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Top government officials welcomed them, including Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development; Habib Mustapha, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency; and representatives of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI; and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, among others.

Speaking at the airport, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, said that one of the stranded Nigerians gave birth in Port Sudan.

He stated that both mother and child are in good health and would be flown out as soon as the infant is strong enough to do so.

He emphasized that Nigerians shouldn’t rely on nefarious and false messages on social media as the Federal Government is working around the clock to guarantee that all Nigerians who are stuck in Sudan are evacuated.

He claimed that those without passports had been handed documents to complete by the Nigerian Mission in Sudan so they could be evacuated because of the rush to avoid being killed.

He said: “I am pleased to inform you that all Nigerians have been evacuated from the Egyptian border. We’re now operating from Port Sudan. More Nigerians are expected to be evacuated in the next few hours. In the flight today, 128 women with little children and two men were evacuated. We give priority to women.

“I will show you pictures and videos of the food we feed them. This will enable you to filter the information you see on social media. All the stranded Nigerians have been evacuated from Khartoum. More will be airlifted in the next few hours we remain committed to ensuring no one is left behind.”

Habib Mustapha, the DG of NEMA, also spoke, stating that the evacuees are already in a state of mental distress and shouldn’t be made fun of on social media.

All of them who arrived were from Port Sudan in the Republic of Sudan, according to Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, who headed a group to welcome the returnees. He claimed that more flights have been activated to pick up other stranded Nigerians.

“All stranded Nigerians that are willing to come back from Sudan have been evacuated to Port Sudan, awaiting airlifting.

“Nigerians that found their way to other borders like the Ethiopian border and the Saudi Arabia borders have been well received by the respective embassies. Possible arrangements are being made to bring them back home,” he added.