By Azuka Christopher
THUR 03 MARCH, 2022-theGBJournal- Air Peace aircraft has departed Lagos to Warsaw, Poland to begin the evacuation of Nigerian refugees fleeing the war between Ukraine and Russia, as Ministry of Foreign Affairs ramps up call for undocumented Nigerians to show up at designated points in Romania, Poland and Hungary.
The Air Peace aircraft, the first of two designated, with 180 available seats is expected to arrive Warsaw 9 am today, persons close to the airline told theGBJounal.
The flight is also the first of three aircraft the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada said on Wednesday, will be dispatched to four countries-Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania to airlift stranded Nigerians back home.
The Federal Government had promised to begin the evacuation of the refugees Wednesday but sources say Embassy officials are taken aback by the low number of Nigerians willing to come forward for documentation, hence the slow start to the evacuation effort, and the fresh documentation call by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry issued the fresh advisory Wednesday urging those ‘’willing to return home’’ and those yet to be documented to so, ‘’as it is a mandatory requirement.’’
The Ministry said in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mrs Francisca K. Omayuli, that it will issue Emergency Travel Certificates(ETC) to enable them travel back home.
It is still uncertain the number of Nigerians fleeing the war, but what is certain is that majority are students studying in Various universities in Ukraine, some as young as 17 years old.
President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday approved the release of $8.5 million to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the evacuation exercise.
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