A private Nigerian airline, Air Peace has stated its readiness to evacuate Nigerian nationals who are stranded due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan for free.
This was announced on Monday by the airline’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Allen Onyema, who added that the offer could only be possible if the Nigerian government can transport them to a safe and secure airport in any of Sudan’s neighbouring countries.
This comes barely a few hours after the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs revealed the government’s plans to evacuate the stranded Nigerians by road from the Northeast African country.
The statement reads: “Again, Air Peace is willing to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Sudan free of charge if government can get them to a safe and secure airport in any of the neighbouring countries bordering Sudan. Everything must not be left for the government and government alone.
“It will be a privilege and honour of tremendous pride that we will be out there to give every Nigerian stranded in Sudan a sense of pride and oneness in their country.“We are very ready to do it immediately. No time wasting. Any action that would promote national pride, national cohesion, peace and unity, we are for it.
“Again, we have no apologies for believing in our nation and loving the nation despite certain national challenges.
If they are moved to Kenya or Uganda or any other country, we will move in to get them out. Some parents have started calling on us to help. We are ready to do this again and again.”
This is not the first time that the airline has offered to be of service to the nation by flying stranded Nigerians back home from foreign lands, especially in dire circumstances.
In 2019, during xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Air Peace volunteered to send an aircraft to South Africa to evacuate Nigerians who wished to return to the country, free of charge.
The airline later evacuated willing Nigerians out from South Africa at no cost on September 11 and 18, 2019.
Reports claimed that no fewer than 4,000 Nigerians, including students are stranded in Sudan over the war that broke out in that country about two weeks ago.
The Federal Government on Sunday also said that evacuation of the stranded Nigerians would commence on Tuesday, but was silent on how the citizens would be removed from the country.
Fighting across Sudan intensified into Monday, driving thousands of people from their homes and speeding up evacuations of diplomats and foreign nationals from the chaos.
At the weekend, the UK and US militaries airlifted their diplomats to safety, with the US ferrying consular staff in MH-47 Chinook helicopters. Thousands of American and British citizens, mostly dual nationals, are said to remain. Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Greece, Ireland and Jordan are among the other countries who’ve organised rescue efforts. Ghana said it’s working to evacuate its citizens through Ethiopia.
