April 26, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government of Nigeria, on Wednesday, said a total of $1.2 million is being spent on buses and security evacuating stranded Nigerians from war-torn Sudan.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and his counterpart, Minister of State, Zubairu Dada, disclosed this on Wednesday, while briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Onyeama said 40 luxury buses were already on ground in Sudan, to pick up Nigerian nationals in the country to Egypt, where they would be airlifted back home.
The evacuation efforts, Onyeama said, are being coordinated by the Nigerian embassy in Sudan as well as authorities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FERMA), whose Director General has been on ground in Egypt to receive the evacuees.
According to the Ministers, “the buses conveying our citizens were hired at a cost of $1.2 million,” citing the risks associated with moving the people.
They noted that the hired buses also included the cost of providing security while conveying the victims to Egyptian territory.
Both Ministers also noted that women and children will be given priority, before diplomats, who are equally involved in the evacuation logistics.
They noted that the Nigerian Government was leveraging on the 72 hours cease-fire window given by the Sudanese Government to evacuate as many Nigerians as possible.
Amb Dada noted that the Saudi Arabia Government had already evacuated some Nigerians through the Sea, a development he noted was highly appreciated by the Federal Government.
