Another batch of Ukraine returnees arrive Abuja

March 04, (THEWILL) – The second batch of 181 Nigerian evacuees from Ukraine have arrived in Abuja from Poland.

They arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, at 6:35 pm on Friday aboard an Air Peace flight.

Earlier today, the first batch of Nigerian evacuees, numbering 415 arrived in the country from Romania, aboard Max Air.

The evacuation exercise follows the attack by Russia on Ukraine which has left scores of people killed and many displaced.

Over 5,000 Nigerians, the majority of whom are students, studying in Ukraine have been caught up in the conflict.

Many of them have reportedly fled to neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine including Hungary, Poland and Romania.

They were evacuated to Nigeria following the intervention of the Federal Government with the cooperation of governments of countries neighbouring Ukraine – Romania, Hungary, and Poland

As part of the support for the evacuation process, the President had earlier in the week approved $8.5 million to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Humanitarian, Disaster Management, and Social Development.

According to Gabriel Aduda, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Government has made all necessary arrangements to ensure that no Nigerian is left stranded in any of the countries where they have fled to.

President Buhari on Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya at a Townhall Meeting with some Nigerians in the country, had said, “On our part as a Government, we shall continue to defend the interests of all Nigerians wherever they may be. We have demonstrated this over time, as we have had cause to evacuate our citizens in harm’s way abroad.

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“We did it in Libya, South Africa and we have just commenced doing the same in Ukraine, where thousands of our citizens, especially students, are trapped by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine”, the President had said in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.