No fewer than 131 stranded Nigerian evacuees arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The Tarco airline plane B737-300 that conveyed the third batch of returnee touched down at 1.45pm.
Already, 506 have been evacuated back to Nigeria since the country started airlifting on Wednesday.
The first batch of 376 were airlifted on Wednesday by Airpeace and Nigerian Airforce plane, C 130 while the second batch of 130 with a 99% female were airlifted by a Sudanese aircraft, Taco on Friday.
The first batch were airlifted from Egypt while the second batch came in from Port Sudan.
The 3rd batch is also from Port Sudan.
Speaking shortly after welcoming the evacuees, NiDCOM Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, expressed joy that the process has commenced.
Dabiri-Erewa also reiterated the promise that no single Nigerian would be left behind.
She said, ” It is not over, until it is over. Another batch is coming tomorrow. Thank God the tension is less now, and one thing is certain, no one would be left behind. Unfortunately, some people put a tribal colouration. to all these issues. You can see, the mission wanted them to be orderly, and priority was given to women and children. If a man jumps through the window and comes to out to say oh because I am from this ethnic group, I think that is most uncharitable.
But nobody will be left behind.”
She also re-emphasised that the directive from the ministry of Foreign Affiars is that priority be given to women in the ongoing exercise.
” So, another is coming tomorrow and NEMA is trying to get landing permit for Air Peace to also go to Port Sudan. Because its only Tarco airline that can fly from Port Sudan been an old airline.
“So, we are trying to see if airpeace can get landing permit. NEMA is working on it. That would make is a bit faster.
