The first batch of 450 Nigerian caught in the Russia/Ukrainian war have been evacuated from the neighbouring nation – Poland.
They arrived at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, on Max Air Flight at 7.11am.
They left the Romanian airport and landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Friday.
They are the first batch of stranded Nigerians to be evacuated as another set is bound to be brought by Air Peace, which departed for Romania at 3am on Friday.
The Chairman, Nigerians In Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has confirmed the development, disclosing that they had undergone clearance at the Romanian airport over nine hours ago.
Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa, on her Instagram page, wrote that they were the first set of Nigerians who were returning to the country from Ukraine after they found refuge in Bucharest.
“Finally. First set of Nigerians (over 450 passengers) stranded in Ukraine on their way to Abuja, Nigeria from Bucharest, Romania. Wishing them journey mercies,” she wrote.
At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, Nigerians were initially told to be responsible for their own safety and security, according to a statement by the Nigerian Embassy in Ukraine.
However, following outrage from Nigerians, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NiDCOM stepped in to begin preparations to provide safety to Nigerians who could find their way to neighbouring countries such as Poland, Hungary, and Romania.
Coordinating with the embassies in those countries, Nigerians escaping the war were allowed safe passage after facing initial difficulty from border control.