NIDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri with the evacuees on arrival aboard Air Peace, Thursday morning
Sudan: ‘FG pays $9 to $25 for every Nigerian evacuee exiting through Egypt’ – NEMA, as 2518 evacuees arrive Abuja
Federal Government pays between $9 and $25 for the free passage of every Nigerian evacuees fleeing Sudan through Egypt, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
This is also as the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says a total of 2,518 Nigerians have been evacuated from the war-stricken Sudan back home following the arrival of the 15th batch of nationals who arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), last Saturday.
NIDCOM Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun said this in Abuja, who disclosed this, Sunday while giving an update on the extraction exercise, said the evacuees were flown into the country from Egypt in 15 flight operations.
”As at today being Sunday, this is where we are with the evacuation exercise.
“The evacuation is done through a total number of 15 flights, with four from Aswan, Egypt and 11 from Port Sudan.
“As I said earlier a total of 2,371 evacuees have safely returned home as at Saturday, May 13.
“The new arrivals just now, are 140 adults, comprising three infants and 30 children making a total evacuation to 2,518,″ Balogun said.
Meanwhile, also providing update on the extraction operation, Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Ahmed said that out of the total 2,518 evacuees already in the country, 23 arrived sick but have been treated, just as he added that the Federal Government had to pay between $9 and $25 for the free passage of every Nigerian evacuee through Egypt.
“Out of the 2,518, a total of 23 sick evacuees were received, out of these, 10 were treated on arrival by officials of NEMA, Port Health and other medical personnel within the airport, while 13 were referred to the 108 Nigerian Air Force Hospital, Abuja.
“Among these is an 8-day old baby who was delivered while the mother was awaiting airlift from Port Sudan. The baby is currently being treated for jaundice at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, while a patient with hand injury is being treated at Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja.
“Though we were faced with a lot of challenges, but we thank God we were able to evacuate them in a dignified manner.
“For every Nigerian that left Sudan, we had to pay about nine dollars for their exit, those that went through the Egyptian border, we had to pay 25 dollars per person for them to be allowed to exit,” he said.
Ahmed further disclosed that the identities of 160 women and children whose nationality remained uncertain are being profiled by the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan to ascertain their real identities.
“If they do not have Nigerian passports, they must be profiled first and we must know their addresses in Nigeria.
“If it is confirmed that they are truly Nigerians and not those claiming their fourth and fifth generations are from Nigeria, then they will be brought back.
“However, Nigerians willing to come back can indicate interest, as a mop-up exercise was still on-going,” he added.
