Essential Ndubuisi
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is to commence the evacuation of stranded Nigerians from Sudan on today.
Its Director, Special Duties of NEMA, Dr. Onimode Bandele, who disclosed this during an interview on Channels TV, said the evacuation would be done via road from Khartoum, Sudan to Cairo in Egypt.
He said the plan was to evacuate about 2,650 to 2,800 people first, including students, embassy staff and their families.
“The truth is, nobody has been evacuated yet. I just spoke to the Ambassador in Khartoum, Olaniyan some few minutes ago and the truth is, it is true that there are plans to get buses to start movement tomorrow (Tuesday) morning and as I speak with you, the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed is already in Cairo because that is the window that we are looking at. We have a town called Luxor and another one. So, the movement is to perfected between the Embassy in Khartoum and the DG NEMA who is already in Cairo. So, as confirmed by the Nigerian Ambassador in Khartoum, tomorrow, it is guaranteed that movement by road will start.
“Our projection was both students and others, they are about 5,000 but my discussion with the Ambassador this morning, the plan is for about 2,650 to 2,800 to move immediately including families of embassy staff and as plans continue, the figures will be updated and the exact time of departure from Khartoum to Cairo will also be communicated.
“The population is worked by the number of buses and the number of buses will determine how many can move at a particular time. Like I said, if you are evacuating in a situation of internal crisis like we have in Sudan, you have to be mindful of the number of buses in your convoy so that you can easily manage it; security-wise.”
Olaniyan said when the issue started, there was total lockdown in Sudan and that it was not safe for anybody to start any movement out of the country.
