About 500 Nigerians evacuated from the politically violent Egyptian capital, Cairo arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja yesterday at 5:00am.Ozo Nwobu, Director, Public Communications Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said arrangements are being made to ensure all Nigerian nationals in Egypt are brought back home.

“Coordinating bodies including National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency are working hard to ensure that the remaining 300 Nigerians stranded in Egypt are evacuated,” he said. “This is part of government’s effort to ensure welfare of its citizens and protect them. Other nation’s are moving their citizens away and Nigeria is doing the same as a responsible government. Some of them have been stranded in Egypt since Thursday last week and we have responded to their plight.”

Swift response

Mr Nwobu said the returnees were brought home in chartered flight paid for by the federal government and that the gesture will be extended to those still in Egypt.

The 500 evacuated so far were received at the airport by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Salamatu Suleiman in the company of Bala Mohammed, the Federal Capital Territory minister.

Mrs Suleiman told the returnees that government will support them and that President Goodluck Jonathan is concerned about their situation.

Speaking on behalf of the returnees, Abdulmumuni Aminu, a retired colonel commended the federal government for its quick response to the plight of the people, adding that the experience was traumatic for them, as banks were closed and they did not have access to basic amenities.

Those evacuated include students, government officials, and businessmen.

President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier in the week ordered the immediate evacuation of Nigerians from Egypt because of the political unrest in the country.

Egypt Air cancels flights

Meanwhile, Egypt’s national carrier has announced the suspension of its flight operations from Nigeria. When NEXT visited Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, ticketing and reservations officers of Egypt Air were nowhere to be found. What was prominent was a notice signed by the airlines management which reads: “Attention Egypt Air passengers. Flight MIS876 date 3 Feb 2011; Lagos to Cairo. Flight now cancelled due to current situation in Egypt. Egypt Air regrets the inconvenience.”
http://www.nigeriacurrentnews.com/nigeria-evacuates-500-from-egypt/