FG averts Nigerian casualties in Sudan, spends $1.2m on bus movement

FG averts Nigerian casualties in Sudan, spends $1.2m on bus movement

No Nigerian has died in the ongoing clashes in Sudan between the country’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Federal Government has said.

It also said $1.2m was spent to evacuate stranded Nigerians from the civil unrest country with 40 buses.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, disclosed this, adding the high cost of the evacuation was to provide security cover for the Nigerians’ journey to the Egyptian borders.

“The sum of $1.2 million is what we’re being charged for all the 40 buses. We have huge transporter luxury buses made available to us to transport to the Egyptian border,” Onyeama said.

The violent clashes between Sudan’s army and the RSF, a paramilitary group, have killed over 400 people and injured thousands, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Despite several ceasefire agreements by both sides, the fighting rages on.

According to NAN, Zuberu Dada, minister of state for foreign affairs, who also spoke on Wednesday, said the Nigerian government had secured 72-hour permission from its Sudanese counterpart to evacuate its citizens from the country.

The minister said the government had arranged security support and transportation for the Nigerians to the Egyptian border.

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“The evacuation is being done in batches to ensure the safety of all Nigerians. But the good news is that no Nigerian life has been lost so far,” Dada said.

“I think it is important to stress that all Nigerians are very safe. And we are very confident and hopeful that we shall not lose any Nigerian life Insha Allah shall in this exercise. All is well, and we are good to go.

“We have no problem about the 72-hour window. Because we have talked to all the authorities concerned and we’re on the same page. But talking about the window, we are making every effort to ensure that we make use of this window to evacuate as many Nigerians as we possibly can.”

Dada added that some Nigerians have also been rescued via ship by the Saudi Arabian government.

“Let me also add that some Nigerians have actually been evacuated by ship, I guess from Port Sudan, by the government of Saudi Arabia,” he said.

“Do not forget, this is a joint effort. We have friendly nations that are ready to assist, you know, so we are having to record that the Saudi authorities have been able to, pick up some Nigerians, they are transporting them by ship, I guess to Saudi Arabia, to Jeddah in particular.

“From where, of course, again, we’ll link up and find a way of bringing them back from Jeddah those that succeed in going to Jeddah.”

FG averts Nigerian casualties in Sudan, spends $1.2m on bus movement