The first batch of Nigerians evacuated from the war ridden Ukraine has arrived Abuja, the country’s capital on Friday.
The 416 returnees arrived at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja Friday morning aboard a Max Airline flight.
According to news reports, the flight which originated from Romanian where Nigerians fleeing from the Russian bombardment of neighbouring Ukraine assembled for the evacuation was earlier scheduled to arrive Nigeria on Thursday, March 3, 2022.
Meanwhile, another batch of evacuees from Poland and other neighbouring countries to Ukraine where Nigerians fleeing from the war are assembling will be airlifted by Air Peace Airlines in the coming days.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) said on Twitter that two more arrivals were expected later today.
Thank God. Thank President Muhammadu Buhari @NigeriaGov . 416 back home . Two more arrivals expected later today @nidcom_gov #NigeriansinUkraine pic.twitter.com/UycJadDino
— Abike Dabiri-Erewa (@abikedabiri) March 4, 2022
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Gabriel Aduda, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the federal government has made all necessary arrangements to ensure that no Nigerian is left stranded in any of the countries where they have fled to.
Aduda said that Nigerian airlines – Air Peace and Air Max – would transport stranded Nigerians from Romania, Hungary, and Poland.
He said that evacuation had already begun and the evacuees would begin to arrive in Nigeria from March 4.
The permanent secretary, however, urged citizens stranded in the countries neighbouring Ukraine and willing to be evacuated to Nigeria to register for the process as only those documented with the Nigerian Embassies would be eligible for evacuation.