February 24, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives has called for the immediate evacuation of Nigerians in Ukraine.
The development followed military onslaught on Ukraine by the the Russian military.
THEWILL earlier reported attacks on Ukraine by Russia military on Thursday following authorization by President Vladimir Putin.
Shortly after Putin’s announcement, explosions were heard in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and several other cities.
Responding to the development, Honourable Ahmed Munir in a motion during plenary on Thursday, expressed concerns over the safety of Nigerians in Ukraine.
Presenting the motion, the lawmaker expressed concerned that there are many Nigerian students in Ukraine who could be caught in the crossfire
Munir said the lives of Nigerians are at risk as the war might escalate in the coming days, putting Nigerians there in a more precarious situation.
He said: “We have a significant number of undergraduate and graduate students currently studying in Ukraine of which a portion are under government scholarships.
“This is in addition to a number of Nigerian diplomats and their families in the Kiev embassy and Nigerian expatriates across Ukraine.
“If a strategic plan is not put in place to secure and provide safe passage for our citizens, they may be trapped or worse, harmed”.
Responding, the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, directed the leader of the house, Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano), the chairman, house committee on foreign affairs, Buba Yakub (APC, Adamawa) to liaise with the ministry of foreign affairs on the issue.
But some lawmakers fear that it may be too late as the evacuation should have been done long ago.
The house resolved to interact with the chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema to evacuate Nigerians from Ukraine by Monday, February 28.
Weeks of intense diplomacy and the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia failed to deter Putin, who had massed between 150,000 and 200,000 troops along the borders of Ukraine.
“I have made the decision of a military operation”, Putin said in a surprise television announcement that triggered immediate condemnation from US President Joe Biden and sent global financial markets into turmoil.
Putin called on Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and justified the operation by claiming the government was overseeing a “genocide” in the east of the country.
The Kremlin had earlier said rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine had asked Moscow for military help against Kyiv.
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