Many of them have reportedly fled to neighbouring countries to Ukraine including Hungary, Poland and Romania
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The second batch of Nigerian evacuees from Ukraine have arrived in Abuja.
This time, they were evacuated from Poland.
The first batch of returnees, most of whom students, arrived shortly after 6.30 am today on a chartered Max Air flight from Romania’s capital Bucharest.
The second batch of evacuees from Poland flew in on an Air Peace aircraft.
The Head, Media and Public Relations Unit, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, confirmed the arrival of the second batch of Ukraine-based Nigerians in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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The Air Peace flight carrying the evacuees touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, at exactly 6:35 pm.
It is not yet certain how many people were on board the aircraft.
The evacuation exercise follows the attack by Russia on Ukraine which has left scores of people killed and many displaced.
Over 5,000 Nigerians, majority of whom are students studying in Ukraine, have been caught up in the conflict.
Many of them have reportedly fled to neighbouring countries to Ukraine including Hungary, Poland and Romania.
Meanwhile, as the country ramps up efforts to evacuate citizens stranded after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to continue to defend the interest of Nigerians wherever they may be.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina, quoted his principal as making this assertion on Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya at a Townhall Meeting with some Nigerians in the country.
“On our part as a Government, we shall continue to defend the interests of all Nigerians wherever they may be. We have demonstrated this over time, as we have had cause to evacuate our citizens in harm’s way abroad,” the President said.
“We did it in Libya, South Africa and we have just commenced doing the same in Ukraine, where thousands of our citizens, especially students, are trapped by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.”
As part of support for the evacuation process, the President had earlier in the week approved $8.5m to the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Humanitarian, Disaster Management, and Social Development.