The Federal Government has begun the evacuation of Nigerian citizens living in Lebanon due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
In a statement, Eche Abu-Obe, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “ “The government is working to ensure the safety of Nigerian nationals in Lebanon, where the conflict has raised concerns about the security of foreign residents.”
The statement added that the government has activated emergency protocols to facilitate the swift and safe return of Nigerians as soon as possible.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Presidency, National Emergency Management Agency, Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and other relevant bodies, is coordinating the evacuation exercise to ensure the safe return of Nigerians from Lebanon.”
“Our Embassy in Beirut has been issuing several advisories since the conflict started for our citizens to stay indoors and follow local authorities’ instruction as well as appeal to those who have not registered with the Embassy, to do so through Email: info@mfa.gov.ng.”
According to the statement, presently, about 500 Nigerians have registered with the Mission, however, there are more than 2000 Nigeria citizens residing in the country.
It says, “Even though most of them have not indicated willingness to return home in spite of the persuasion by our Embassy, we will continue to do everything to ensure the safety of our citizens.”
The Ministry revealed that no lives have been lost since the crisis began, thanks to efforts by the Embassy in collaboration with the Nigerian community’s leadership to evacuate Nigerians from southern Lebanon.
The Federal Government announced that arrangements are being made to deploy a C-130 aircraft or another available flight for the evacuation. It urged all Nigerian citizens in Lebanon not to resist the evacuation, as the ongoing conflict may worsen.
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