Finally, First Batch Of Nigerians Stranded In Sudan Arrive Abuja

The Air Peace flight carrying over 270 Nigerian students from the Aswan Airport in Egypt has landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The NAF C-130H jet also conveying about 80 persons also touched down moments later.

After over a week of assurances by the Federal Government, the Nigerian evacuees were finally airlifted home, escaping the deadly conflict in Sudan.

Since April 15, Sudan has been plunged into armed conflict with clashes between rival factions of the North African nation’s military government breaking out in western Sudan, in the capital city of Khartoum, and in the Darfur region.

Hundreds have since been killed while thousands of others have suffered injuries.

For nearly two weeks, the Nigerian government assured concerned citizens of evacuation plans, ultimately facilitating buses to convey Nigerians out of Sudan with a Nigerian Air Force plane deployed for the operation.

The evacuees arrived at the airport in the midst of heavy security presence, including mostly wingmen of the Nigerian Air Force.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Farouk; the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa; and the Director General of the National Management Emergency Agency (NEMA), Ahmed Mustapha, were at the airport to receive the students.

Farouk said the returnees would be given N100,000 each to enable them settle in, adding that a full press briefing on the issues surrounding the evacuation had been scheduled for later on Thursday.

The NEMA boss also noted that four aircraft were expected to arrive on Thursday, adding that they would convey almost 400 persons. According to him, Azman Air has joined Air Peace in the evacuation effort.

During their ordeal, three Nigerian students trapped in Sudan, Lukman Abdulhayatu, Bilyaminu Muhammad and Bashiru Achida, shared their experiences, describing the situation as catastrophic.