Sudan: ‘All Nigerians have been successfully evacuated,’ according to FG

The federal government reported on Friday that it had successfully flown all willing Nigerians out of Sudan and into Port Sudan for onward airlift back to Nigeria.

However, the government said that a mop-up team would be stationed in Sudan to round up any potential refugees from the nation’s ongoing civil war.

The government made its announcement as another group of returnees, totaling 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.

They were received by top government officials including the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Habib Mustapha, officials of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI, 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 because the Federal Government is working around the clock to guarantee that all Nigerians who are stuck in Sudan are evacuated, Nigerians shouldn’t rely on nefarious and false messages on social media.

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.

His words were; “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.”

The director general of NEMA, Habib Mustapha, also spoke, saying that the evacuees are already experiencing mental hardship and shouldn’t be made fun of on social media.

All of the returnees, according to Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, who headed a group to welcome them, came from Port Sudan in the Republic of Sudan. More flights, according to him, have been activated to pick up additional 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.