As part of efforts to ensure the safety of Nigerians, particularly students in war-ravaged Sudan, the Federal Government has set up a committee to facilitate the rescue of its citizens from that country.
In a statement on Saturday, the Head of Press Unit, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Manzo Ezekiel said the committee consists of professional emergency responders as well as search and rescue experts.
“They will constantly evaluate the situation and seek for the safest way to evacuate the Nigerian citizens, even if it is through a country neighboring Sudan,” Mr Ezekiel said.
According to the NEMA official, the agency is working with other relevant bodies and stakeholders, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), and security agencies “while seeking for an appropriate window of opportunity to evacuate all stranded Nigerians back home in a safe and dignified manner”.
On Thursday, the NIDCOM Chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had, in a Twitter post, said that the authorities were experiencing challenges airlifting Nigerian nationals out of conflict-ridden Sudan.
Writing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade; Editing by Tony Okerafor