From: Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja
No fewer than 600 stranded Nigerians were sent back to Sudan by the Egyptian authories for lack of travel documents.
Two of the travelling students who were without their passports or any travel documents from the Nigerian Embassy, were said to have sneaked into the group of passangers cleared to go to the airport from the Wadi Halfa border.
There actions led to a serious consequences as the Egyptian authorities send the entire group back to Sudan.
They said the inclusion of the two without their documents is contrary to the agreement signed with Nigeria before they agreed to open their border.
The two stidents’ action could also attract legal action as the Egyptians are fuming against the illegal entry of the two stidents whose identity were yet to be declared.
Meanwhile, another student was said to have sneaked into Egypt and was yet to be found, according to a Nigerian official who did not disclose her name.
The angry official in a voice note said the action of the two students would be costing the group 10 wasted man hours and money.
She explained that the bus would have to be paid against for conveying them back to Sudan and also return them to Egypt.
Besides, she said money would also be paid for exit and entry.
She therefore pleaded with parents to talk to their children to exercise patients, assuring them that the government would not leave anyone behind.
She said, “Our students, I told us to exercise patients. Two students, all the students that have passports were allowed to go and those who did not have passports were asked to wait and ETC would be handed to them as a former document to travel. Out of curiosity, impatiently or what I don’t know, two students sneaked in without passport or ETC. Now they are being discovered at the Egyptian airport at Aswan. The Egyptian government are angry and all the students have to go back to Sudan. They conveyed over 500 or 600 people now everybody have to go back to Sudan to get exit permit and another permit in Egypt and this will cost delay of almost 10 hours.
“Out of this confusion, another student escaped into Egypt and they cannot find him.
“What is our problem. You keep blaming the government why you don’t do the right thing. The government is slow and now that the government is fast what have you done.
This is very unfortunate. Along the line, I think there is a sea , you have to transport the vehicle. You have to ship the vehicle before it can get back to the border.
She also blamed most parents for piling unnecessary pressure on the students with their complains.
“Our children are all their including myself. But we have to be patient for the children to return. The government will not leave anybody behind. So why do we need to do this. This is very unfortunate and I am very disappointed.
“Mind you, action legal action will be taken against these two children and if that happens, nobody should approach me to intervene because I will not intervene. Let no one call me for any intervention.
For goodness sake, I have been begging these students to be patient. “Parent I keep begging you, talk to your kids, talk to your wards. Now this happened, we would be delayed for about 10 hours. “Transporting the whole vehicle back to Sudan and we have to go through the whole processes again. We have to exit from Egypt. “That queue you students were complaining of you will join now. Little patient. Just at the end of everything. At Wali Halfa, there are 60 students who don’t have passport and still waiting for ETC. This is our problem.
She also warned the students at Port Sudan, to be careful so that the same thing does not happen to them.
“You are not leaving anywhere without your travel documents. So, please let us behave ourselves. “These are extra expenses for logistics. You don’t expect the transport company to take them to Sudan and bring them.back for free. The ship that will convey the buses would have to be paid twice. This is double expenses, double problem and time wasting. Everybody is here praying, having sleepless night. Now just because of two people about 700 people would now suffer. “
