October 23, (THEWILL) – The federal government of Nigeria, on Sunday, evacuated about 542 stranded Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The returnees, who were received by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), were accompanied by the Consul General of Nigeria in Dubai, Amb. Atinuke Mohammed.
Amb. Mohammed appreciated the Federal Government for the special intervention in the safe evacuation of the citizens.
Mr Manzo Ezekiel, Head, Press Unit, NEMA, confirmed this in a statement on Sunday, in Abuja.
According to him, the returnees arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on board Max Air Chartered flight at 4:29 a.m.
He added that the returnees included 79 males, 460 females and three infants.
He also noted that the returnees were screened by health officials, profiled by various relevant agencies and cleared by the Nigerian Immigration Service, before being given a token to aid their transportation to their destinations by NEMA.
Earlier, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, Director-General, NEMA, who officially received the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government, admonished them to learn from their experiences and be law-abiding citizens.
Ahmed, who was represented by the Director of Finance and Account of the agency, Mr Sani Jiba, added that the Federal Government had approved the evacuation and provision of the token to support their movement back to their various homes.
The returnees were received by officials of NEMA, Airport officials, security agencies, National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), NAPTIP, NIDCOM, NDLEA, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Customs Service, NCDC, Port Health Services.
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
