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FG to begin airlifting of Nigerians trapped in Ukraine Wednesday

Published

4 years ago

March 1, 2022

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama

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.”

Related Topics:Airlifting Featured FG Nigerians Ukraine Wednesday

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Social Media Star Peller Arrested in Lagos for Live-Streamed Car Crash

Published

5 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Trends Admin

Nigerian TikTok star Peller

Social Media Star Peller Arrested in Lagos for Live-Streamed Car Crash

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested popular social media influencer Habeeb Hamzat, known as Peller, following a viral video showing him driving recklessly and crashing his vehicle during a live-stream.

According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the arrest comes after public outrage over the dangerous road crash, which occurred on Sunday, December 14, 2025. The police described Peller’s actions as life-threatening, endangering both himself and other road users.

“The Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained Habeeb Hamzat aka ‘PELLER’ for further investigation, following the viral video in which he was seen driving recklessly, resulting in a dangerous accident while live-streaming,” the statement partly read.

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The incident is now under investigation by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), with the outcome to be made public. The suspect is expected to face charges in a court of competent jurisdiction.

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Olohundare Jimoh, warned social media influencers and members of the public against using online platforms to engage in reckless or unlawful behaviour. “Such lawlessness will not be tolerated, and the full weight of the law will be applied on any offender,” he stated.

The crash has reignited debate over the rising trend of risky stunts by content creators, with many Nigerians calling for stricter enforcement to curb similar incidents.

Authorities continue to emphasize road safety, urging all drivers to comply with traffic regulations and warning that anyone endangering lives on the state’s roads, regardless of social status or online influence, will face prosecution.

This latest incident highlights the urgent need for responsible social media usage, public safety awareness, and stronger law enforcement against dangerous behaviour on Nigerian roads.

Social Media Star Peller Arrested in Lagos for Live-Streamed Car Crash

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Femi Falana Demands Arrest of Soldiers, 400 Terror Financiers Shielded Under Previous Administration

Published

5 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Trends Admin

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana

Femi Falana Demands Arrest of Soldiers, 400 Terror Financiers Shielded Under Previous Administration

LAGOS — Prominent human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, has petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of 10 soldiers accused of killing three police officers in Taraba State, as well as 400 alleged terrorism financiers whose cases were reportedly abandoned under the previous administration.

In his petition, Falana accused former AGF Abubakar Malami, SAN, of deliberately shielding the suspects from justice despite “overwhelming evidence.” Copies of the petition were also sent to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

“The withdrawal of terrorism charges against these soldiers and the failure to prosecute hundreds of terror financiers amount to a grave abuse of prosecutorial powers and a betrayal of public trust,” Falana said.

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Falana recalled that in August 2019, 10 soldiers led by an Army Captain ambushed and killed three police officers in Jalingo, Taraba State, after they had arrested notorious kidnapper Bala Hamisu, also known as Wadume. Although the soldiers were initially charged with terrorism offences at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the case was abruptly terminated after Malami entered a nolle prosequi, which Falana described as unconstitutional.

He noted that while the United Arab Emirates convicted six Nigerians for financing Boko Haram—two sentenced to life imprisonment and four jailed for 10 years—Nigerian authorities failed to bring a single financier to justice.

Falana accused Malami of failing to prosecute the 400 suspected terrorism financiers arrested after investigations by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and Department of State Services (DSS), despite assurances that trials would commence after a judicial workers’ strike.

“The case files of these suspected financiers are reportedly still in the Office of the Attorney-General, while many of the suspects have regained their freedom. Nigeria cannot win the war against terrorism while protecting those who finance and execute it. The era of impunity must end,” Falana added.

Femi Falana Demands Arrest of Soldiers, 400 Terror Financiers Shielded Under Previous Administration

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Updated: Nationwide Electricity faces threat as Gas Companies Cut Supplies

Published

6 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Trends Admin

Updated: Nationwide Electricity faces threat as Gas Companies Cut Supplies

Nigerians may experience power shortages this Yuletide as gas-to-power debt issues disrupt electricity generation across the country.

Gas companies have begun cutting supplies to thermal power plants over unpaid debts, forcing electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to reduce daily power supply.

On Tuesday, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) informed customers across the South-East that low system frequency, caused by gas supply constraints, had necessitated load shedding by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). EEDC subsidiaries affected include MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra, and EastLand.

Similarly, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company confirmed that poor generation and allocation from generation companies (GenCos) were causing load shedding in its franchise areas.

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The Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) confirmed that gas producers had started cutting supply due to outstanding debts owed by the government, despite a recent approval of N185 billion by the Federal Government for payment of arrears to gas suppliers, announced on December 4, 2025, by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) further disclosed that gas pipeline vandalism in the upstream network has worsened the situation, causing reduced output from gas-fired power plants and a decline in national grid generation capacity. Emergency measures, including increased hydroelectric dispatch and voltage control interventions, have been activated to maintain system stability.

With over 80 per cent of grid-connected power plants relying on natural gas, the sector remains highly vulnerable to gas supply disruptions, raising fears of sustained power outages during the festive season unless liquidity issues and infrastructure vulnerabilities are urgently addressed.

The current development signals a critical need for government intervention, stakeholder coordination, and investment in gas infrastructure to prevent widespread electricity shortages across Nigeria.