By Promise Eze
The Federal Government of Nigeria has made plans to evacuate over 5,500 Nigerians stranded in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, due to the ongoing civil war in the country. The government reportedly hired 40 buses to facilitate the evacuation of the stranded Nigerians to Cairo, Egypt.
According to reports, the Nigerian government released N150m to an undisclosed transport company on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, to hire the buses for the evacuation exercise. The payment was made by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, confirmed the development and stated that the evacuees would depart Khartoum on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.
In a tweet on Tuesday night, she said: “It’s late in the night. Will get a clearer view in the morning. But in that dark shot are buses that will convey Nigerian students to nearby borders in Egypt. More buses are arriving. A bit of some logistics delay but all now sorted by @nemanigeria and the Nig mission, Sudan.”
The evacuation exercise is expected to bring relief to the stranded Nigerians who have been trapped in Sudan since the outbreak of the civil war. The government’s intervention is also seen as a commendable move towards ensuring the safety and well-being of Nigerians living abroad.
