CITIZENS COMPASS– -THE Federal Government of Nigeria on Sunday, received 542 stranded Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
They arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe Int’l Airport, Abuja, on board the Max Air Chartered flight at about 4:29 am on Sunday, October 23, 2022.
Spokesperson, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Manzo Ezekiel, on Friday, in a statement, announced their arrival to the the country.
On Sunday, Ezekiel in another statement said they were received by a Federal Government team led by NEMA and airport officials, security agencies including National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigerian Customs Service, Port Health Services amongst others.
He said they were screened by the health officials, profiled by various relevant agencies and cleared by the Nigeria Immigration Service before being given a token of fares by NEMA.
The evacuees arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja aboard Boeing 747 of a Max Air Chartered flight.
They comprise 79 males, 460 females and three infants.
Director General, NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed who was represented by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Alh. Sani Ahmed Jiba, received the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government, urging them to learn from their experiences and be law-abiding citizens.
He said the Nigerian Government approved the evacuation as well as a token for the returnees to support their movement back to their homes.
The Consul General of Nigeria in Dubai, Amb. Atinuke Taibat Mohammed, who accompanied the returnees back on the flight, appreciated the Federal Government for the special intervention in the safe evacuation of the stranded citizens back home.
The evacuation followed the increasing harassment of Nigerians in the Middle East country following the tightening of her immigration laws which invalidate the stay of some Nigerians.
