Thousands of Nigerians stranded at the Egyptian border following the bloody conflict in Sudan, can now heave a sigh of relief as President Muhammadu Buhari’s intervention with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has led to the opening of the border.
This was disclosed in a tweet yesterday by the chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
“The border has just been opened (with stringent conditions) after President Buhari’s intervention With the Egyptian President. So, the processing of evacuees by the Nigerian embassy in Egypt will begin,” she tweeted.
The Egyptian authorities had refused the passage of Nigerians and other foreign nationals into its territory as they demanded for visas, which sparked protests from the Nigerian government.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students in Sudan (NANSS) has disclosed that all stranded Nigerian students in the crisis-ravaged country have been evacuated from the country’s capital, Khartoum on 26 buses.
The public relations officer of the association, Amal Pantami, made this known in a statement on Sunday. Pantami said the last set of Nigerian students was evacuated from Khartoum last Sunday.
“This is to inform the general public that all the remaining Nigerian students have been evacuated from Khartoum today, Sunday 30th April, 2023,” the statement read.
“There were 26 buses and each carried about 50 people.
“We continue to ask for everyone’s prayers and we hope all the students are able to reach Nigeria safely. We’re ever grateful for your continuous support and prayers.”
The Nigerian government had earlier said the stranded Nigerians would all be evacuated to safer places where they will now be airlifted to the country. The students had a tortuous journey going to the border of Egypt as they were stranded in the desert following the alleged failure of the Nigerian authorities to pay the bus company.
