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FG to begin airlifting of Nigerians trapped in Ukraine Wednesday
- 479 Nigerians secure exit routes
Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama, has said the Federal Government will on Wednesday start airlifting of Nigerians trapped at the Ukrainian borders with Budapest, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania.
Onyeama disclosed this while speaking on Channels TV, Politics Today, monitored in Lagos.
He said the government was discussing with Air Peace and Max Air airlines in Abuja, adding that it is making moves to find out from those countries how many Nigerians are currently there.
He said, “As of today, we were hoping we will be able to get the flights out, but we needed to be sure of the numbers to know the size of planes to deploy. So we made Romania the hub.”
The minister said he was in touch with the Ambassador in Ukraine and his staff and had directed them to set up a hotline for Nigerians in Ukraine, maintain contact with them, and advise them on what they should be doing and how they should stay safe.
Onyeama said, “We are also in contact with the ambassadors and diplomatic missions around Ukraine. Once the people started moving to the borders before it was shut; we have started evacuating Nigerian citizens. The next phase was to get them to the borders as safely as possible and to evacuate them to the capitals to begin an airlift.”
He added that it got the embassy to send staff to the border points in Hungary, Poland and Romania, Slovakia to assist Nigerians to arrange shelter and food for them.
Onyeama stated, “Though it’s a bit chaotic because of the panic. There has been some distressing news about discrimination about Nigerians being turned back at the border, initially, by the guards. So I called the minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine. I was actually surprised to get him considering the situation that they are in, and we communicated at length and he said the border guards were to allow foreigners to go through unimpeded, but the only restrictions were Ukrainian males between the ages of 18 and 60. And the borders guards have been directed. So we arranged with the embassy officials to start ferrying Nigerians to the capitals.”
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He said there were over 1,000 Nigerians who had crossed the borders, 250 in Poland, Budapest about 200, and Slovakia rising rapidly to around 200 mark.
The minister said, “There are some Nigerians on a place called Summi, closer to the Russian border. I have been in touch with the ambassador and given him some numbers to keep in touch with them, about 150 of them now looking to cross to Russia, we are hoping they will give them a permit to cross and we are hoping that by Wednesday, we will start deploying planes to airlifting and bringing back Nigerians.”
Asked if it was safe to fly in and out of Russia, Onyeama said it was not safe to fly, but to go by road, adding that there is also inherent risk.
“Though there is an element of risk there but the Russian Ambassador assured me that they were targeting military installations and not civilian abode,” Onyeama said.
Meanwhile, about 479 Nigerians are already across the Ukrainian border in Hungary and Poland with the rest as at press time being assisted to get to freedom.
A signed statement yesterday by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, explained, “In the last 24 hours, officials of the Nigerian Embassy have received 130 Nigerians safely at Bucharest, Romania, where they have been provided accommodation and will be documented, while we finalise arrangements to bring them back home.
“Also, officials at Budapest, Hungary have received and accommodated 74 Nigerians safely, where they are being documented for subsequent travel arrangements back to Nigeria.
“We are expecting another batch of about 200 into the city of Budapest, tomorrow (Monday)
“In Warsaw, Poland we have received 52 Nigerians and 23 are being processed at the Polish Government Reception Point at Hala Kijowska, Milny 90, 37-552 Milny, which is near the border of Korczowa-Krakowiec. The camp is well organised with beds and beddings, food, heating, clothing and medicals for evacuees.”
Aduda, in the statement, assured “Nigerians that all hands are on deck and arrangements are being put in place to effectively evacuate our citizens, in safety and dignity.”
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NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution
NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution
The General Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Kayode Agbeyangi, has enjoined Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of peace, love and compassion as taught through the birth of Jesus Christ.
He stated this in his Christmas and end of the year goodwill message to felicitate members of the union and Nigerians in general.
Agbeyangi urged Nigerians to use the festive season to reflect on the values of love, compassion, and sacrifice that Jesus Christ embodied.
“This period is not for merry making alone; we should also spare time to reflect on the birth and life of Jesus Christ.
“His birth teaches humility, love compassion and sacrifice. As Nigerians, we must show love to our fellow county men. We must love our country. As Nigerians, we must be ready to make sacrifices for the nation.”
The NURTW scribe also used the opportunity to appeal to members of the union and other road users to always exercise caution and adhere to all safety protocols while travelling during the festive season.
“As we celebrate, let us not forget the importance of road safety. The roads can be treacherous, especially during the festive season.
“I urge our members and all road users to drive safely, avoid overspending, overtaking at dangerous bends and overloading, and be courteous to other road users,” he stated.
He also advised drivers that all their vehicle papers should be up to date to avoid embarrassment from law enforcement officers on the highways.
Comrade Agbeyangi prayed for a peaceful and joyous celebration, and wished members of the union and Nigerians, a happy prosperous New Year.
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Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam
Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam
The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody. The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an…
The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody.
The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an attack on the Christian faith.
Addressing his congregation, Jamiu said the banner was displayed to educate Muslims.
He said, “When you come to Lekki Central Mosque, at least you should learn something. You pass by the banners outside, you look here and there, you learn something because Islam treasures knowledge.”
The Imam said all the banners displayed outside the mosque contain Quran and Hadith verses.
He said after a photo of one of the banners went viral, he “received calls from the government, local government, and area command appealing to us to please remove the banners because of the festive period.”
He said the display of the banners was not to provoke anyone, noting that there’s a difference between propagation of Islam and provocation.
“It was not placed there just yesterday. It has been there for about two months or thereabout. We are peace loving people, we don’t provoke anyone. We only propagate our name,” he said.
Jamiu further stated that nobody can monopolise Jesus because Muslims also have what they believe about him as backed by the Quran which calls him Isah.
“If you don’t believe in Jesus, you are not a Muslim. We are Muslims and anything we believe must be in consonant with the Quran and the Quran says Jesus Christ is not God, he’s a messenger of God. We quoted this verse in the banner. Is there anything wrong if we paste what we believe on our territory to educate our congregation? It’s a verse of the Quran. This is freedom of religion, freedom of speech,” he said.
On the removal of the banner, Jamiu said he received multiple calls ascribing the gesture as cowardice.
“It is not cowardice. We removed it to let peace reign, to obey our government because we are peace-loving people and also because we know it’s a festive period, people may think it was actually calculated to enrage others. We are going to modify it and put it back. We are not cowards,” he said.
The banner has since been replaced with another which says “A
llah is the lord of Jesus.”
Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam
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CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m
CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has imposed a N150 million fine on a commercial bank for failing to dispense cash through its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
This action follows an unannounced inspection by the apex bank, which uncovered deliberate cash hoarding and ATM manipulation by the erring bank.
Sources within the CBN revealed that the sanctioned bank was caught disabling its ATMs, thereby denying customers access to their funds while prioritizing cash disbursements to select VIP clients.
A staff member of the CBN stressed that the apex bank would not tolerate such practices.
“The Bank will not spare any Deposit Money Bank (DMB) caught in the act of hoarding cash or found favoring VIP customers over other customers,” the official stated.
To this end, the CBN has intensified spot checks on banks nationwide, exposing various illicit cash-handling practices by some unscrupulous financial institutions.
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For now, the CBN is imposing financial penalties on defaulting banks. However, according to the official, the next phase of enforcement will include publicly naming and shaming offending banks and prosecuting implicated bank officials.
“This fine is just the beginning. The CBN is determined to hold banks accountable for any actions that undermine public trust and the integrity of the banking system,” the official added.
Despite the ongoing challenges, the CBN has reiterated its commitment to promoting cashless banking in the country.
Another senior official disclosed that the apex bank’s management is intensifying efforts to encourage the use of electronic channels for transactions.
“The frustration faced by account holders is undermining our push for a cashless economy. We are doubling down on initiatives to restore public confidence in electronic banking solutions,” the official said.
CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m
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