542 Nigerians who were stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been evacuated by the federal government .
On a Maxair chartered flight, which left Lagos at 4:29 a.m. on Sunday, the evacuees—who included 79 men, 460 women, and 3 infants—arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja.
A federal government team that included airport staff, security agencies like the National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), NAPTIP, Nigerian Diaspora Commission, NDLEA, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Customs Service, Port Health Services, NCDC, and others welcomed them.
The evacuees received a token for transportation to their various destinations after being screened by health officials, profiled by various relevant agencies, and cleared by the Nigerian Immigration Service, according to a statement by the head of the press unit of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Manzo Ezekiel.
In welcoming the returns on behalf of the Federal Government, Mustapha Ahmed, the Director General of NEMA, advised them to take lessons from their experiences and live up to the law.
The Federal Government approved the evacuation and the distribution of the token for the returnees to enable their journey to their homes, according to Ahmed, who was represented by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Alhaji Sani Jiba.
The federal government was praised for its assistance in the safe evacuation of the trapped people back home by the Nigerian Consul General in Dubai, Ambassador Atinuke Mohammed, who accompanied the returnees on the flight.
