Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of Nigerians in Diaspora
Commission (NiDCOM), says the federal government has asked for a safe corridor
for the evacuation of Nigerian students trapped in Sudan.
In an interview with BBC Africa on Monday, Dabiri-Erewa said
the evacuation of the students would begin on Tuesday.
She said the students would be transported by buses to the
borders of Egypt before being airlifted to Nigeria.
The war in Sudan between its military and the Rapid Support
Forces (RSF) has made it nearly impossible for flight routes to operate.
Amid a shutdown airport, there have been reports of burnt
aircraft.
“We are hoping that by tomorrow, the first set of buses will
be leaving Khartoum heading toward some borders in Cairo…to evacuate the first
set to a safe place where we can now airlift them back home to Nigeria,”
Dabiri-Erewa said.
“So, I know that the National Association of Nigerian
Students actually sent a message and told all of them come somewhere so we can
pay some fees but that was a dangerous move so they’ve all returned back to
base and there’s a contact from the Nigerian mission in Sudan where there will
be coming to.
“So, as soon as the
buses are ready, like I said, most likely by tomorrow morning, they will convey
them safely and that is the keyword.”
The NiDCOM chair said the process had been delayed because
the federal government had yet to hear from Sudan’s army and the RSF for a safe
passage.
“Now, here is the thing, why are we waiting? Because we must
ensure that we get the permission of the military on both sides. Now, we have a
large number of Nigerian students, we’re talking of thousands, nothing less
than 3,500 that are stranded there so we’re conveying them in a whole lot of
buses. Imagine seeing 10 buses without any security, you’re putting them in
harm’s way,” she said.
“So we want to ensure that there’s safety and security, so
by tomorrow morning, we believe that they’ll now go en route to Egypt and get
to two borders there and they’ll be in a safe location to return home.
“Our ministry of
foreign affairs has contacted both sides of the divide and we have asked for a
safe corridor for our students and that means to give us security.”
DEATH TOLL EXCEEDS
400
Many foreign students — from Africa, Asia, and the Middle
East — who are also stuck in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital and the war centre, have
also put out desperate calls for help.
Several ceasefire “agreements” by both sides, including a
three-day halt to mark Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday which started on Friday,
have been ignored minutes into the truce launch.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the fighting has
killed over 400 people and injured thousands.
However, there are fears that the death toll could be higher
as people are struggling to get healthcare, food, and shelter.
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