Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora
Commission (NIDCOM), says Egypt has finally opened its border for Nigerian
students evacuated from Sudan.
Dabiri-Erewa said the border was opened after President
Muhammadu Buhari spoke with Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Egyptian president.
The NIDCOM chairperson’s statement came a few hours after
the commission said Egypt’s borders were still closed despite the arrival of
the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in the northern African country to airlift the
stranded students.
NIDCOM said the air force had assured the students that they
will not be left behind.
“We will not leave
without our students,” NAF was quoted as saying.
In a swift turn of events, Dabiri-Erewa said the borders had
been opened but with stringent conditions.
The NIDCOM chairperson did not give details on the required
conditions.
“The border has just
been opened, ( with stringent conditions ) after President Buhari’s
intervention with the Egyptian President. So, the processing of evacuees by the
Nigerian Embassy in Egypt will begin,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
The students, alongside other nationals, had been stranded
at the Egyptian border since Thursday evening.
Dabiri-Erewa said the Egyptian authorities were insisting on
visas, adding that the Nigerian mission in Egypt had been working tirelessly to
rectify the issue.
The first set of evacuated Nigerians were initially expected
to arrive in the country on Friday.
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