About 7,000 people, including Nigerians, are reportedly stuck at the Egyptian border after leaving Sudan, according to the Federal Government.
The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, made this assertion on Friday.
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Dabiri-Erewa expressed empathy for the condition of those affected, according to Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations, and Protocols Unit of NIDCOM, in a statement on Friday.
“Dabiri-Erewa said over 7000 Nationals, including Nigerians, are not being allowed to cross the border into Egypt since their arrival late yesterday evening,” the statement read.
She added that The Nigerian mission in Egypt has been working tirelessly on this as the Egyptian authorities are insisting on visas by fellow Africans to transit back to their countries.
She appealed to the Egyptian authorities to kindly allow the already traumatized travelers to transit to their final destinations in various countries in Africa.
The appeal is coming days after the Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama said the Federal Government hired 40 buses at $1.2 million for the evacuation of Nigerians from the war-torn North African country.
Since then, some Nigerians stranded in Sudan have reached Egypt from where they would be taken back home, a fact corroborated by the NIDCOM boss.
In the wake of the development, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it will start the airlifting of Nigerian evacuees from Egypt on Friday.
“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Peace, and other Airlines have received clearance to fly to Egypt. The NAF C-130H is scheduled to leave Abuja tomorrow, 28th April 2023 to commence the airlifting of the evacuees,” said Amb. Janet Olisa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
