The Nigerian Government is considering road option for the evacuation of its citizens which mostly are students from the violence in Sudan amidst wave of criticisms, accused being nonchalant in this situation.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama who made this known when featured on Channels Sunday Politics said, the FG is working round the clock to ensure safety, and evacuation of Nigerians stranded in Sudan.
He stressed that the situation is not as simple as being portrayed, saying the airport is out of commission, and the only viable way out is by road.
“But of course, it is not totally safe so you are going to require the govt to provide some security and a safe corridor out”, the Minister added.
Onyeama puts the large number of Nigerians in Sudan at 5, 500 which he said make it the situation more dicier, while explained that out of the number, 80 percent of them are students.
He added that some countries have only evacuated their diplomatic staff and not all of their citizens as speculated online but assured that the FG is doing everything it can to get the requisite approval from the Sudanese government.
Meanwhile, as the crisis in Sudan rages on, the federal government has warned Nigerian students awaiting evacuation to stay calm, be indoors and disregard information about the process of evacuation that is being circulated online.
A circular by the Nigerian embassy in Sudan issued on Sunday, noted that the govt is working towards getting approval for evacuation, cautioned students to get clearance, assurance from the Sudanese authorities before going to the border areas.
Also, the Presidency has said that the government has been having sleepless nights following ongoing crisis in Sudan, according to the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu on tweets.
He said, “Our officials are doing a lot, coordinating with the Embassy in Khartoum, the Sudanese and Ethiopian governments trying to ensure the safety of the large number of our citizens there.
“Minister Geoffrey Onyeama who is coordinating these efforts is optimistic that they will start moving people to safety as soon possible”, the Presidency said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that over 400 people had been killed including one foreign citizen and 3,551 injured in the ongoing fighting between the two main factions of the Sudanese ruling military regime.
This fighting which has been going on for days between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces caused people across Sudan to continue sheltering in place, fearing for their lives, and running low on fuel, food, medicine, and water.
