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•Writes Ethiopian govt over plight of stranded students
By Chinelo Obogo, Aidoghie Paulinus and Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has warned stranded Nigerians seeking escape out of war-torn Sudan against journeying on “treacherous borders” on their own in view of the dangers involved.
It also charged them to be calm and maintain constant communication with its officials as plans for evacuation process peak.
This was contained in a statement, yesterday, jointly signed by the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Nasir Sani-Gwarzo.
“Concrete plans are underway to deploy, very shortly, air transport to evacuate all stranded Nigerian citizens through the identified safe transit areas back home to Nigeria in safety and dignity.”
While expressing concerns that some of the students, on their own, were trying to find their way to contiguous borders of either Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia or Chad, the government, assured that in line with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI)) were working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerian Missions in the countries bordering Sudan, as well as with other relevant stakeholders to immediately evacuate stranded students and other affected Nigerian citizens from the war-torn country.
“The Ministers, therefore, urge parents to advise their wards that while concerted efforts are being made to evacuate them, the students should endeavour to remain calm and maintain constant communication with officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan for instructions and updates…”
Meanwhile, the Embassy of Nigeria in Ethiopia and Permanent Mission to the African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, in a note verbale sent to the Ethiopian Government, drew the attention of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry to the plight of about 2, 500 Nigerian students seeking refuge in Ethiopia, following ongoing military confrontation between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Raped Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan.
The students are stranded at the Gallabat/Metema border towns between Sudan and Ethiopia not possessing valid entry visas into Ethiopia.
“Accordingly, and line with international humanitarian law and the existing cordial relations between our two countries, that the Government of Nigeria is requesting the urgent intervention of the Ethiopian government with the facilitation of humanitarian safe passage to the stranded Nigerian students. Attached herewith, is an initial fist of the students for necessary action. An updated list would be forwarded in due course,” it said.
•FG accepts Air Peace offer
On the offer by Air Peace to evacuate Nigerians from Sudan free of charge, NEMA spokesman, Manzo Ezekiel, told Daily Sun that the Federal Government had accepted it but that the challenge was how to move Nigerans by road to a neigbouring country since no civil flight can land in the country.
“We have accepted Air Peace offer and are already in talks as regards the modalities for the evacuation. The only challenge is how to move Nigerians from Sudan to a nearby country where they can then be evacuated by air,” he said.
Daily Sun gathered that plans are underway to move Nigerians by bus from Sudan to Egypt where they will then be evacuated by Air Peace.
