Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says a total of 2,246 Nigerians have so far been evacuated from Sudan.

Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NiDCOM, Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stated this on Friday in Abuja, while giving updates on the Federal Government’s evacuation efforts since May 3.

He said on May 3, 94 evacuees, comprising 78 males and 16 females, boarded NAF C130 plane, while 274 boarded Air Peace plane from Aswan Airport, Egypt.

Balogun said on May 5, 130 Nigerians also boarded Tarco Airline, while on May 6, 131 evacuees boarded the same airline from Port Sudan, with 102 boarding the same airline from Port Sudan on Sunday.

He further said 410 Nigerians boarded Max Air and 322 Azman Air, both flights from Aswan Airport on Sunday.

Balogun said two flights from Tarco Airline evacuated 133 passengers, with seven children and nine infants, and 126 passengers, also with 12 children and 41 infants, from Port Sudan on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

He further stated that 123 Nigerians boarded Tarco Airline on Wednesday from Port Sudan, while 136 boarded the same airline on Thursday.

He, however, said that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was expected to give the details of the 264 passengers aboard Tarco Airline as well as the 128 and 136 evacuees in separate flights.

Meanwhile, the NiDCOM Chairman, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, received the Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, in her office in Abuja.

Ikechukwu expressed his university’s willingness to absorb some of the students recently evacuated from Sudan and give them concessions in the area of tuition.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the war that broke out in Sudan had disrupted the academic programmes of many Nigerian students, leading to their evacuation to the country. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Fatima Sule Abdullahi and ‘Wale Sadeeq