Nigeria rescued no less than 648 stranded citizens in Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates and parts of Europe as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a government agency reported.
The evacuees arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe Int’l Airport, Abuja, on Sunday, via various airlines, namely: Emirates, Azman Air, Euro Air and Air Sudan.
The Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) said in a Twitter post Monday that 117 evacuees from Saudi Arabia arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at approximately 11:30 p.m. Local time on Sunday via Azman air while the Emirate airlifted 324 stranded nationals in the UAE and arrived at approximately 3 p.m.
Euro Air also transferred 51 evacuees from Canada who arrived at around 6:45 p.m. It was on the same day. In the meantime, 22 other people are said to have arrived from parts of Europe, including France, Hungary , Romania, Poland, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
“Earlier we reported that @airfrance flight AF936 with 22 Nigerians from (France, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Norway, Germany, Holland, the United Kingdom and Canada) with other Nationals arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 2:44 p.m. local time from citizenM Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris,” the Twitter statement read.
It said 134 Nigerians who were evacuated from Sudan, also arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja via Air Sudan, on Sunday morning.
All the returnees reportedly tested negative to COVID-19 and would proceed on a 14-day self-isolation as mandated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Federal Ministry of Health, and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the agency said.
“All Evacuees tested Negative to #Covid19 before boarding and are now on a 14 day SELF-ISOLATION as mandated by @NCDCgov, @Fmohnigeria and PTF on #COVID-19,” the tweet said.
In the meantime, Nigeria has airlifted hundreds of its citizens around the globe as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 550,000 people worldwide.
The project is part of the government’s attempts to clear the backlog of distressed people around the world during a public health emergency.
According to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, at least 500 Nigerians are evacuated on a weekly basis.
