The first batch of 376 Nigerian students trapped in war-torn Sudan has arrived in Abuja.
The students arrived at the Pilgrims Terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 11:25 pm Wednesday on an Air Peace plane and a Nigeria Airforce Jet, NAF C-130.
They were evacuated from the Aswan border of Egypt after crossing from Sudan and received in Abuja by senior government officials, including the minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq.
She announced the donation of a N100,000 stipend from the Dangote Foundation and N25,000 airtime from MTN to each returnee.
These would enable them to travel to their destinations with ease.
The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, said four more flights conveying Nigerians from Sudan are expected on Thursday.
“We are expecting about four flights tomorrow (Thursday) – three from Port Sudan and one from Aswan. So it is a process that has started and the tempo will keep on increasing.”
Sudan has been embroiled in crisis since 15 April when fighting broke out between the country’s Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), both led by former allies General Abdel al-Burhan and General Mohamed Dagalo respectively.
According to the Sudanese Health Ministry, the violent clashes have killed over 500 people.
