Nigerians stranded in crisis-ridden Libya may have to wait a little longer before being evacuated as Libyan authorities have refused to grant landing permit to the aircraft and personnel designated to bring them home.

President Goodluck Jonathan had on Wednesday ordered the immediate evacuation of Nigerians stranded in the troubled country.

However, sources at the National Emergency Management Agency told THISDAY last night that the team for the evacuation and the aircraft chartered for the purpose could not fly to Tripoli since Thursday as they are still awaiting diplomatic clearance from Libya.

"The Director-General of NEMA, Sani Sidi, who is the leader of the team and others have been on standby at the airport since Thursday waiting for the clearance from Libya. Others in the team are foreign affairs officers, medical personnel and immigration/rescue officers. We are still waiting for clearance," said another NEMA source.

NEMA Spokesman Yushau Shuaib confirmed the problems being faced by the Nigerian team, saying the agency would keep trying until it gets the necessary clearance to enter Libya for the evacuation exercise.

Nigerian embassy sources in Tripoli told THISDAY last night that there are about 2,000 distressed Nigerians in Libya who are eagerly awaiting evacuation.

They are said to be getting a raw deal in the hands of Libyan security men who have been brutally repressing the uprising.

The source said when the embassy was finding it difficult getting clearance for the evacuation team, at a point, it considered the idea of asking the distressed Nigerians to either move to Egypt or Mecca in Saudi Arabia, "from where the NEMA team will go and pick them."

However, the Nigerian embassy dropped the idea for fears that the Nigerians may be exposed to more dangers if they should attempt crossing Libyan land borders.

The embassy source further disclosed that the Libyan authorities have unenthusiastic about the issuance of the clearance to NEMA difficult because Libya views Nigeria as an unfriendly country.

This, the source said has been responsible for the frosty relationship between the two countries in the last ten years. As a result of this, Libya closed its embassy in Nigeria over ten years ago. However, Nigeria still maintains an embassy in Tripoli.

Meanwhile, anti-government protesters in Tripoli came under heavy gunfire yesterday, with many feared killed.

Protests in the city resumed as protesters seeking the overthrow of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi emerged from mosques following Friday prayers.

They were confronted by a force of troops and militiamen who opened fire on them in the Souq al-Jomaa area as they headed towards Green Square. Snipers on rooftops are also said to have fired on the marchers.

Reports of anti-government protesters being fired on have also come from other areas of the capital including Fashloom, Janzour and Zawlyat al-Dahmani.

"Many people are being killed right now in Tripoli, I just got a few phone calls from friends who witnessed people going out of mosques being shot at," one Tripoli resident told the BBC.

"I am very scared to leave the house. I was planning to visit my parents, but they called me and told me not to go out because there's heavy security on the main roads, stopping cars for checks. We haven't left the house for six days, apart from going out to buy bread. The city is completely closed," another resident told the BBC

Read More: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/libya-gaddafi-stalls-evacuation-of-nigerians/86856/

it's not ghadaffi per se, but libyan authorities @ poster.

i am quite impressed that GEJ has send a rescue effort for Nigerians in Libya, the same was done for Nigerians stranded in Egypt when the trouble kicked off.

Usually, I believe the Nigerian government would just leave Nigerians to find their own way back home.

I think they should send in the Air-force and someInfantry soldiers to escort our compatriots out of Tripoli

horrible situation. .Gaddafi will be jailed when this is over!

If all else fails,maybe the nigerian government should contemplate sending in a frigate like the British government did.

This is pathetic I just hope them good luck and save home return.



Amen.

rebranded:

horrible situation. .Gaddafi will be jailed when this is over!

that should be the least of his worries

deor03:

I think they should send in the Air-force and someInfantry soldiers to escort our compatriots out of Tripoli

that would lead to war.

I blame those fools that are in Libya as mercenaries. It has made Nigerians easy political pawns.
In the meantime, we can't even send a warship like Aradu to Benghazi (which has been liberated from Gaddafi), because the Libyan masses have become very hostile to Nigerians. Its catch 22.

I blame those fools that are in Libya as mercenaries. It has made Nigerians easy political pawns. U meant NigeriENs or NigeriANs as mercenaries?

That is ridiculous, but my question is how did Canada,Europe, US, China managed to evacuate their citizen? something isn't right here.

shotuns:

That is ridiculuos, but my question is how did Canada,Europe, US, China managed to evacuate their citizen? something isn't right here.

Hey,some European countries have not been cleared to land at Tripoli airport.I think Nigerians(through the embassy)should co-ordinate and do what most other nationals are doing;that is drive to Egypt by road from where they can be flown out to Nigeria

why do we maintain an embassy there since they consider us an unfriendly nation

londoner:

i am quite impressed that JEG has send a rescue effort for Nigerians in Libya, the same was done for Nigerians stranded in Egypt when the trouble kicked off.

Usually, I believe the Nigerian government would just leave Nigerians to find their own way back home.

whats so impressing about it,he is just doing what he is supposed to do and they havent even done it right sef.

shotuns:

That is ridiculuos, but my question is how did Canada,Europe, US, China managed to evacuate their citizen? something isn't right here.

don't you guys know that Nigerian Diplomats in Libya are all illiterates; wicked souls, dubious. . . they formed an evil cartel.
They 've never been and can't be useful now.

God help Bash Ali out of Libya and the rest of Nigerians over there, Bash Ali went to see Gadaffi about the money he needed to fight, which he can't get from Nigeria Government, but he wasn't lucky to get out before the problem started, pray for Bash Ali and others in Libya to get out of there safely

Two possible reasons why Gaddafi, is adamant to let for quick evacuation of Nigerians are; the airports maybe over congested because of the numerous request from western nations to remove their citizens. Nigeria has no priority, we are not important to Libya. Gaddafi may intentionally want to keep Nigerians stranded in Libya to course more tension. Libya’s think that the Africans are the mercenaries. So Nigerians are fuccked in Libya.

So many possibilities, like trying to use Nigerians as leverage, but that's a wild assumption. Hope they make it out in one piece.

Poor Nigeria. That is why we need to start working on how to get our own Nukes. Imagine if Libya tries this with America. A single nuke is enough.

Very horrible stories coming out, many Nigerians were arrested by anti-government armies ("I can't called them protesters because they carry weapons"), claiming they were Merchinaries coming in to support Qaddafi, Libya is no more safe for now.

Serious killing is taking place, with biased stories from Aljazeera and the western media of course.

I believe some superpowers are behind these (Easiest way to change government in order to steal Libyan oil) proxy ips were released by google, twitter and facebook, U.S and EU countries (Especially Italy) working from the shadow with the anti-government leaders to support the revolt.

While Gaddafi is becoming mad day by day, I guess he underestimated superpowers' new global conspiracy to secure oils, being day by their economic is falling, when China taking over some of the us companies, on one hand Gaddafi's pekin is inviting the fact-finding committee from Eu and the world to come and witness exactly what's happening in the country not depend on excessive rumors and lie.

This generation's democracy is something else.

I managed to turned to Aljazeera with their so called "extended coverage" via LiveStation Software.

Very horrible stories coming out, many Nigerians were arrested by anti-government armies ("I can't called them protesters because they carry weapons"), claiming they were mercenaries coming in to support Qaddafi, Libya is no more safe for now.

Serious killing is taking place, with biased stories from Aljazeera and the western media of course.

I believe some superpowers are behind these (Easiest way to change government in order to steal Libyan oil) proxy ips were released by google, twitter and facebook, U.S and EU countries (Especially Italy) working from the shadow with the anti-government leaders to support the revolt.

While Gaddafi is becoming mad day by day, I guess he underestimated superpowers' new global conspiracy to secure oils, being day by their economic is falling, when China taking over some of the us companies, on one hand Gaddafi's pekin is inviting the fact-finding committee from Eu and the world to come and witness exactly what's happening in the country not depend on excessive rumors and lie.

This generation's democracy is something else.

I managed to turned to Aljazeera with their so called "extended coverage" via LiveStation Software.

He is not only drunk, but he is about to kill himself or fighting till he waste his life. This man will surely be gone in a matter of days. Let wait and see.

It's very difficult to get rid of someone as sturborn as ghadaffi.

@mithel, i am impressed that in the case of Nigerians in Egypt and now Libya, GEJ is doing what he supposed to do. Nigerian presidents usually dont do what they are supposed to do at all.



I dont need anybody's permission to hold that opinion though to be honest.

@ topic, have we forgotten that Gaddafi was criticised by many Nigerian politicians INCLUDING GEJ over the inflammatory comments he made over wanting Nigeria to split?

Gaddafi is childish enough to do this just to spite him.

Beaf:

I blame those fools that are in Libya as mercenaries. It has made Nigerians easy political pawns.
In the meantime, we can't even send a warship like Aradu to Benghazi (which has been liberated from Gaddafi), because the Libyan masses have become very hostile to Nigerians. Its catch 22.

I thought it was Nigeriens

I heard the president is in Lagos and that most roads have been closed, please can anybody confirm so that I won't run into standstill traffic as it has been each time the President comes to Lagos.

Best regards.

Gaddafi has a definite mental illness. The Nigerian authorities need to factor this in to their response to the debacle.

Beaf:

I blame those fools that are in Libya as mercenaries. It has made Nigerians easy political pawns.
In the meantime, we can't even send a warship like Aradu to Benghazi (which has been liberated from Gaddafi), because the Libyan masses have become very hostile to Nigerians. Its catch 22.

Libya and Nigeria have not had good relations for a while. Nigeria resisted Gaddaffi's plot to extend his tenure as AU chairman. He has the mindset of an emperor.
However, do you know how old NNS Aradu is? It is a joke now. Gaddaffi has been at loggerheads with the US and western countries for a long time. Libya is better armed than us.