– NIDCOM says NAF C-130 aircraft en route to evacuate Nigerians home
Despite the federal government’s approval of $1.2 million for evacuation of stranded Nigerians in Sudan, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, has accused the Nigerian government of a ‘fake’ evacuation plan.
This is just as the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 Transport Hercules aircraft left Nigeria on Saturday to convey the first set of stranded Nigerians students in Sudan home.
According to the tweet by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), “NAF C 130 prepares to depart to Egypt to evacuate Nigerian Nationals stranded in Sudan. They are going with a lot of dry food, water, Medications, etc. Our Prayers are with them.”
But CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Rafsanjani, on Saturday expressed displeasure at the plight of the students who are desperate to get to their families.
According to Rafsanjani, some students paid some money to the bus drivers conveying Nigerians out of troubled Sudan.
He alleged that the federal government has remained unperturbed as it failed to explain the situation.
“We are worried that students are contributing the little they have to pay for their transportation to neighbouring countries which is very risky and dangerous because the government has made fake promises to provide transportation to evacuate them”, the statement partly reads.
Over 5,500 Nigerians have been stranded in Sudan due to the fighting between warring factions since April 15. The escalation of the conflict led Countries to evacuate their Nationals.
However, in Nigeria’s case, controversy surrounded its citizens’ evacuation. While some students had complained of neglect, the federal government said the evacuation commenced on Wednesday.
But the Nigerians being evacuated could not arrive in Abuja on Friday, contrary to the Federal government’s claim.