The Federal Government of Nigeria has revealed that following an intervention by President Muhammadu Buhari, Egyptian authorities have opened their country’s border for Nigerians fleeing the Sudan war to cross over.
This revelation was by the Chairman, of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Monday, via her Twitter handle.
Dabiri-Erewa tweeted: ‘With the intervention of President Buhari, Egypt has finally opened its border to Nigerians fleeing Sudan. With an Air Force plane already on the ground in Aswan, Egypt, the processing of the first set of evacuees will begin.’
Africa Today News, New York recalls that Egypt had earlier given the Federal Government conditions for Nigerians fleeing the Sudan war to cross its border.
The first sets of Nigerian evacuees from Sudan, 637 students, had been stranded at the Egyptian border.
Read Also: Sudan War: Nigerian Students Trapped In Lonely Desert
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, had on Sunday night said the Egyptian authorities insisted on clearing all the 637 Nigerians before they could be allowed entry into Egypt.
The minister explained that the Federal Government might move the students to Port Sudan for evacuation if Egypt delayed further.
A message from the Nigerian Ambassador to Egypt, Nura Rimi, sighted by our correspondent on Monday, showed that Egypt had finally granted Nigeria’s approval but on some conditions.
The conditions, according to the message, were: ‘Details and schedule of the aircraft; capacity of the aircraft; strong pledge that once our citizens depart the border, they will be conveyed directly to the designated airport.
‘Comprehensive list of the evacuees, with passport numbers; valid travel documents (passport or ETC; the presence of Nigeria Government officials at the points of embarkation. Standby buses that will immediately convey them to the airport.’
Africa Today News, New York reports that most of the evacuating Nigerian students are expected back in the country this week.