The First batch of Nigerians evacuated from the war-torn Sudan through Egypt, has arrived Nigeria amid cheers and relief from family members and government officials.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the evacuees arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Wednesday night at about 11:35pm abaord a Nigerian Airforce plane and Air Peace Aircraft.
While recieving the evacuees at the Airport, the Director Migration, National Commission for Refugees, Migrant and Internally Displaced Displaced Persons, Mrs. Catherine Udida, said 94 evacuees were flown in by the Airforce plane C130, while Air Peace had 282 evacuees.
The chairman Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in her reaction, said it was a huge relief to receive the returnees, bearing in mind what they went through in Sudan.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib, security officials as well as some family members were at the General Aviation Termal of the airport to receive the returnees.
The Nigerians, according to sources were happy to be back home after the harrowing experience on their way to the Egyptian border as well as the difficulties and frustration they faced at the border.
The crisis in Sudan has so far led to the death of nearly 600 people and displaced thousands of others as many countries have evacuated their citizens from the beleaguered country.
