The first batch of Nigerians who were evacuated from the war-torn Sudan through Egypt have finally arrived in Nigeria. Amid cheers and relief from family members and government officials, 376 evacuees arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday night at about 11:35 pm aboard a Nigerian Airforce plane and Air Peace Aircraft.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that 94 evacuees were flown in by the Airforce plane C130, while Air Peace had 282 evacuees. The Director Migration of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Mrs. Catherine Udida, received the evacuees at the airport and expressed her delight in their return.
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, also expressed relief at the return of the evacuees and acknowledged the harrowing experiences they had faced in Sudan. Meanwhile, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, and the Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib, among others, were at the General Aviation Terminal of the airport to welcome the returnees.
Sources revealed that the Nigerians were happy to be back home after experiencing difficulties and frustration at the border and on their way to the Egyptian border. The crisis in Sudan has led to the death of nearly 600 people and the displacement of thousands of others, as many countries have evacuated their citizens from the beleaguered country