Fourth Batch of 131 Nigerians Arrive From Sudan

The  fourth batch of 131 Nigerians comprising 123 adults and eight infants s arrived from Sudan aboard Tarco aircraft marked B737-300 from Port Sudan International Airport at 2.35pm yesterrday.

According to a statement from the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) those who received them included  chairman/CEO NIDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa; permanent secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Sani Gwarzo; a representative of the minister of foreign affairs, Mr Mustapha Habeeb the director general of National Emergency Management Agency  (NEMA); representative of the refugees commission, Mrs Iman Ibrahim  as well as other stakeholders who provided logistics support like the Nigerian Immigration Service, Dangote Foundation, MTN and Hajia Asmau Yerima Mohammed representing the Association of Parents and Guardian of Students in Sudan.

The evacuees were assured that no Nigerian would be left behind in the war-torn Sudan as President Muhammadu Buhari had given the committee the necessary support to bring back home every willing Nigerian. 

Another flight is expected today and they were about concluding all the necessary clearance for them to take off, the statement said.

It added that three evacuees sustained injuries and had been moved to hospital. One has injury on the hand while another has abdominal pain. All of them have been stabilised.

The  committee reiterated that there is no ethnic segregation as being speculated in some quarters and the committee is intact and remains focussed in its mandate.

It was announced again that post trauma counselling and psycho social treatment is being planned by NIDCOM in conjunction with the Ministry of Health as well as Refugees Commission in partnership with  Aliko Dangote Foundation.

In line with the traditional support laid down, each of the returnees were given N100k and a bag courtesy of Dangote Foundation while MTN supported with a Sim pack and call credit of N25,000 as well as 1.5 G Data.

Both NEMA and Refugees Commission provided those of them whose family are not in Abuja with transportation and hotel accommodation till they reunite with their respective families.

 On continuation of their studies in Nigeria, the Committee assured them that there are plans to secure placement for them in their respective courses in Nigeria with the support of Ministry of Education.

Most of the students interviewed regretted the war situation in Sudan and thanked the Federal Government of Nigeria for coming promptly to their rescue, pleading to hasten the evacuation of their colleagues still trapped in the War zone Sudan.