Nigerians caught in the crosshairs of the escalating conflicts in the Middle East can breathe a sigh of relief, as the Federal Government has begun preparations to evacuate citizens trapped in the war zone.
The government’s assurance to bring back stranded citizens follows days of retaliatory strikes by Iran on its Gulf neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Dubai, after a coordinated U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign on Saturday that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader.
According to a statement issued by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) on Tuesday, citizens in affected countries should be assured that the Federal Government is closely monitoring the situation and will take all necessary measures to ensure that no Nigerian life is endangered.
NiDCOM’s statement came less than 24 hours after reports circulated alleging that the commission had said it could not evacuate Nigerians in Iran because no distress calls had been received from citizens in the affected country.
However, NiDCOM spokesperson Abdur-Rahman Balogun clarified in the statement that the commission never made such comments and debunked the circulating report.
According to the statement, “The attention of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has been drawn to a statement credited to the Commission Spokesman, Abdur-Rahman Balogun that there are no distress calls from Nigerians stranded in Middle East due to the ongoing crisis in the region. I never issued such statement.
“On the contrary, the Commission has actually received calls from a few Nigerians in Qatar, UAE, and Iran enquiring about preparations for evacuations when it becomes necessary.
“The fact of the matter is that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with all relevant agencies for appropriate steps while appealing to Nigerians in the affected countries to follow the travel advice as issued by the Ministry of foreign affairs and contact the emergency numbers provided by the ministry.
“Nigerians in affected countries should be rest assured that the federal government is monitoring the situation and would take necessary steps to ensure no Nigerian life is endangered.
