₦airaland Forum

The Federal Government is making preparations to evacuate about 5,500 stranded Nigerians out of Sudan through the Egyptian town of Luxor, The PUNCH gathered on Sunday.

It was gathered that the Federal Government was seeking Egypt’s support so that the stranded Nigerians could be moved to Luxor.

The Director of Special Duties of the National Emergency Management Agency, who doubles as Chairman of NEMA’s Committee for the Evacuation of the Stranded Nigerians from Sudan, Dr Onimode Bandele, said the Federal Government was meeting with government officials in Egypt on how to move Nigerians out of Sudan through Egypt.

Bandele said this as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, said the government had concluded arrangements to evacuate 5,500 Nigerians in Sudan by road.

According to him, Nigeria, for security reasons, will get authorisation from the Sudanese government before the evacuation.

The conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Force, has claimed over 400 lives with thousands of others injured and millions displaced.

The clashes broke out between erstwhile allies, General Abdel al-Burhan who heads the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF paramilitary group, led by General Mohamed Dagalo.

Several ceasefires that had seemingly been agreed upon by both sides were ignored, including a three-day pause to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which started on Friday.[/b]p

The Federal Government had on Friday explained that the tense situation in Sudan was making it difficult for stranded Nigerian citizens to be evacuated from the country.

[b]The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said though the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the NEMA had put in place arrangements to evacuate the citizens, it was impossible for any flight during qlthis period of war as all airports and land borders in Sudan were closed.

However, giving an update on the rescue plan on Sunday, Bandele stated, “Let us make it clear that the situation in Sudan is an internal conflict. It is not Sudan versus another country. It is two factions against themselves. However, we are in touch with our ambassador in Sudan, and in fact, I spoke to him about two hours ago.

“The situation does not allow anybody to go in and pick any of their citizens. It may interest you to know that the governments of Qatar and France tried to move some of their citizens yesterday (Saturday) and they were attacked, so they have to beat a retreat.

NEMA DG

“However, as I speak to you, the Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, is already in Cairo, and some 30 minutes ago he had a meeting with Ambassador Nura Rimi, the Nigerian Ambassador to Egypt.”

On measures being explored by the Federal Government, Bandele said though there was a window of moving Nigerians through Addis Ababa, the current option on the ground was to see how Egypt could help bring out some Nigerians in Sudan first.

He noted, “The Nigerian government is exploring a diplomatic pact with Egypt, to see if Egypt can help us make arrangements to get into Sudan and move our people to safety at a town called Luxor in Egypt.

“There is another window too in Addis Ababa, however, that will be explored between Ambassador Rimi and the ambassador in Ethiopia. But the point I want to make here is that nobody who is thinking straight will just go into Sudan to move anybody.

“Mind you, some of those countries that we say had moved their citizens, some of them have fewer than 50 citizens in Sudan, but for Nigeria, if we do an evacuation today, it will be up to thousands.”

Asked to state the estimated number of Nigerians in Sudan, Bandele replied, “In fact, from the figures we’ve got from our ambassador, 2,000 Nigerians are ready for evacuation, and he said the population of students that we need to move is about 3,000. So we are working with a figure of about 5,000 Nigerians.

“And if we are going to move these 5,000 Nigerians out of Sudan with a 50-seater bus, you’ll be needing 100 buses, and that is too large a convoy for anybody to guarantee. So these are the technicalities that are involved and you need to be careful.

“Also, when you are doing this kind of planning, you don’t just go to social media, because it is a security issue. You don’t know who is reading it, you don’t know who is happy with us.”

This, he said, was why NEMA had decided to leave the evacuation process at the level of high-ranking officers, “because if we say we are going to take Nigerians in segments of a maximum of 10 buses, which will be about 500 persons, this is still very large.”

Bandele added, “So let the modalities be worked out there and once we finalise and we are sure there is going to be security cover for us to move out of Sudan to the safe place in Egypt, we will release another statement and we can now activate the evacuation proper.”

On his part, the minister stated that the evacuation plan by road became imperative following the attack on the flight of the French rescue team in Sudan.

He said, “We have been given the cost estimate and all the details. They gave us a figure of 5,500 who are ready for evacuation. Obviously, what you need in a situation like this is a place where everybody can congregate before you start moving them out. Because the airports, as you pointed out in your report, are out of commission. The only viable way out is by road. Of course, it’s totally safe. So we want to require the government to provide some security and a safe corridor out.

“Our situation is particularly challenging because the numbers are so great. Some countries like the US and European countries have started evacuating. But what they’ve been evacuating were actually their diplomatic staff. They haven’t been able to start evacuating their citizens there. We can’t evacuate all our diplomatic staff at the moment because they need to also coordinate the evacuation of all those students that we’re talking about.”

Continuing, Onyeama said the ministry was taking a careful step not to endanger the lives of stranded Nigerians by soliciting security protection from the Sudanese authorities.

“So essentially, where we are at the moment is trying to get the authorisation from the Sudanese government to undertake this long journey and for them to provide some security. Now we don’t want to take any risk or risk the lives of any Nigerian. Yesterday, for instance, how the French in trying to evacuate their citizens came under fire. We don’t want to expose our brothers and sisters to that danger as well.

“We are doing everything we can to get the requisite approval for the Sudanese government at the very highest level. I was in touch today with somebody in the Office of the President and made a formal request to have a safe corridor to evacuate our people. And they confirmed that they had received it and they would be giving us attention.”

FG warns students

Meanwhile, in a statement on Sunday, the Nigerian Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, warned trapped Nigerians to desist from evacuating themselves towards the borders of Sudan without securing clearance from Sudanese authorities.

The warning came against the backdrop of a notice circulated by the National Association of Nigerian Students in Sudan asking students to converge on the African International University, NANS office and El-Razi University for evacuation or to bring $100 or $200 for evacuation.

A student union executive of the Noble College in Sudan, Idris Wakama, had also told The PUNCH that Nigerian students Madani and Umdurman would converge on Khartoum before travelling to Ethiopia by road.

He said the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan had assured them that they would be evacuated but was waiting for the approval of the Federal Government to allow trapped Nigerians to go by road to Al Qadarif.

He added, “Other students who do not stay in Khartoum have been asked to come to Khartoum. Our fellow students only study in Khartoum, Madani and Omdurman.

“The Embassy of Nigeria, Khartoum said the Federal Government will pick us up from Ethiopia. We will travel from Khartoum to a state called Al Qadarif. But we are facing some difficulties because the transportation expenses from Khartoum to Ethiopia are on the students and some students are out of money. From Khartoum to Al Qadarif is six hours by road and we have told students to hold 60,000-70,000 Sudanese pounds.’’

But the embassy in a statement by the Charge d’affaires, H.Y. Garko urged the students to be calm, while it said the evacuation would commence soon.

It read, “The Embassy of Federal Republic Nigeria, Khartoum, wishes to inform all students in Sudan that they should disregard the notice circulated by the NANS in Sudan, calling students to converge on the three locations namely: African International University, NANS office and El-Razi University, for evacuation or to bring $100 or $200 for evacuation.

“As the embassy had earlier informed students, you are therefore requested to stay calm and remain indoors, while the embassy is working on final approval to commence evacuation.

“It is still dangerous to embark on a journey toward the borders of Sudan without securing clearance and guarantee from Sudanese authorities. The embassy wishes to reassure the Nigerian students that their safety and well-being are of priority concern.”

The Yoruba Students’ Union in Sudan, in a statement on Saturday night, appealed to the South-West governors to collaborate with the Federal Government for the evacuation of the students.

But on Sunday, the President of the union in Sudan, Mubarak Ahmed, in an interview with The PUNCH, expressed hope of evacuation from Khartoum on Tuesday or Wednesday.

According to Ahmed, an evacuation was scheduled for Sunday, but it was cancelled for security reasons.

He added that there were no alternative means to leave as the Khartoum airport had been destroyed on the first day of the war, leaving a land evacuation to Ethiopia as the only option.

While the conflict was getting deadlier, Ahmed said the embassy had assured them that they would make the evacuation possible by Tuesday or Wednesday.

He said, ”It is serious. Here in Khartoum, we have different universities and heads of universities and people from the North here are more than the people from the South. So, people from Oyo, Lagos and Osun states all together formed the Yoruba union.

“Today (Sunday), there was supposed to be an evacuation but the embassy didn’t allow it because of security reasons so we hope by Tuesday/ Wednesday, they will evacuate us from Khartoum.’’

Speaking on an alternate route out of the war-torn country, the union leader said, “No, there are no alternative means to leave Sudan because since the first day of the war, the airport was destroyed in Khartoum and that is the only main airport people use, but another alternative is land evacuation which is by foot from Khartoum to Ethiopia.’’

In an interview with one of our correspondents, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the state would be willing to assist in the evacuation of the students.

He said, “If we need to do something, we are going to. But at the moment, the Federal Government is doing a lot.’’

Stranded student lament

Narrating his ordeal in a video shared by Reuters, a student who did not identify himself revealed how scared he was when a bomb went off close to his shelter.

He said this was besides his lack of access to food and water.

Commenting on the delay in the evacuation of Nigerians, the frightened student said, “Is it that we are cursed or something? You see other countries evacuating their nationals, they are eager, and they are showing that they care and that they value their lives.

‘’But for us, our own country is just full of excuses, ‘there is no money, it’s going to cost a lot’. Is it that the money is more valuable than 4,000 lives of Nigerian citizens living in Sudan, for God’s sake? Though we can say that we are from poor backgrounds, all of us are here, but that is not a reason for us to be ignored. We are really pained, we cried to the extent that, you know, tears cannot come out anymore.’’

Meanwhile, several countries have evacuated diplomats and citizens from Sudan’s capital as fierce fighting continues to rage in Khartoum.

The United States and the United Kingdom announced on Sunday they had flown diplomats out of the country.

France, Germany and Italy are among other countries also organising evacuations, starting on Sunday.

US authorities said they had airlifted fewer than 100 people with three Chinook helicopters on Sunday morning in a “fast and clean” operation.

The US embassy in Khartoum is now closed, and a tweet on its official feed says it is not safe enough for the government to evacuate private US citizens.

The UK government managed to airlift British diplomats and their families out of the country in what was described as a “complex and rapid” operation.

The number of Nigerian students who have indicated willingness to return to the country from war-torn Sudan has risen to 1,700, but the Federal Government may have dashed their hopes of early evacuation as fighting rages in the troubled nation.

The government explained that the tense situation in Sudan was making it difficult for stranded Nigerian citizens to be evacuated from the country.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said though the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the National Emergency Management Agency had put in place arrangements to evacuate the citizens, it was impossible for any flight during this period of war.

This was contained in a statement signed by Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, NIDCOM, on Friday.

The statement read, “The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said while the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the National Emergency Management Agency have put in place arrangements to evacuate Nigerian students and other Nigerian citizens stranded in Sudan, the tensed situation makes it gravely risky and impossible for any flights at this point in time, noting that aircrafts parked at the airport in the country were burnt yesterday (Thursday) morning

“Dabiri-Erewa noted that humanitarian groups are seeking ways of getting food, water and medical supplies across to people.

“She therefore appealed to the fighting parties to consider the Juba Peace Agreement enunciated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development as a fundamental mechanism for the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the country.”

Stranded Nigerian students

Over 1,700 Nigerian students appealed to the Federal Government to evacuate them from the Republic of Sudan where a fierce military confrontation between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Force, has claimed 400 lives with 3,500 injured.

The figure is an increase from the 1,262 reported by The PUNCH on Friday as having filled the evacuation form on Wednesday night.

The clashes had also displaced thousands of civilians who fled the capital, Khartoum, even as some foreign nations, including Japan, Uganda and Tanzania, had begun evacuating their nationals as the violence, which started on April 8, entered its 13th day on Friday.

Until recently, the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel al-Burhan, and the RSF paramilitary group headed by General Mohamed Dagalo, were allies.

In data made available to Saturday PUNCH by the Secretary-General of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Sudan, Adam Mohammed, on Friday, 455 Nigerian students also filled the evacuation form between Thursday night and Friday.

As of the time of filing this report, a total of 1,717 Nigerian students had filled the evacuation form.

When asked for updates on the Federal Government’s plan of evacuating the students, Mohammed said, “We have yet to hear from them.”

The secretary-general said about 12,000 Nigerian students were studying in Sudan, adding, “Most of them are currently in Nigeria for the Ramadan holidays because there is no academic activity during the holy month until after Eid.”

Similarly, the President, Jigawa State Students Association in Sudan, Umar Abubakar, who lives in Mujahideen, Khartoum, said Nigerian students were fleeing their residences for safety as heavy gunshots persist in Sudan, especially in Khartoum.

Abubakar sent a voice note to one of our correspondents on Friday with loud gunshots heard in the background, adding that his colleagues were ready to be evacuated.

“After prayer this morning, we are running for our lives. The situation is very serious as you can hear the gunshots in the background; please pray for us,” he stated.

After getting a safe place to hide, Abubakar said, “I got a safe place; I am good at the moment. No one has been hurt so far. I could not believe that a bullet fell in front of us, while running and we found some others in the place we hid.

“People were running in different directions, but the people around me were six; 90 per cent of the Nigerian students are studying in the capital city, Khartoum.

“We ran to another town that is safe, but that too, is not comfortable. What about the poor sisters that cannot withstand the ups and downs?

“It was interesting seeing our colleagues from Djibouti being evacuated today after the eid, and Kenyans, Indonesians and some other countries’ citizens are almost set for their evacuation.”

The President, Nasarawa State Students Association in Sudan, Al-Ameen Ahmad, said they could not sleep at night because of the continuous gunshots around the International University of Africa, which is behind the military barracks.

Ahmad said, “I could not sleep last night. We just pray to see the end of all this. Nigerians here are stranded and do not even know where to go.

“Almost 100 female students were evacuated from their hostel to a conference hall inside the school, which is much safer than the hostel.

“Students are still filling the form and to those with no smartphone, we are trying to reach out to them though their number is little.”

A graduate of the University of Garden City, Khartoum, Halilu Mohammad, said he lives in Soba Hilla, 20 minutes away from the International University Africa and had no issues in his residence.

Mohammad said, “These days, I am not facing any problem because where I live there is no problem, but we hear the sound of bombs and gunfire.

“But I got information that some students are leaving where they are for safety as they face electricity and water shortages as well as hunger issues.”

After appraising the situation in Sudan, the Federal Government on Thursday said it had requested permission to evacuate Nigerians, especially students, trapped in the conflict zone.

It also reiterated the call for a ceasefire to enable the evacuation of foreign citizens.

But speaking with our correspondent, an official who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Those countries evacuating their citizens have airlines, but we do not. Have they compiled their names with the mission to know how many of them are ready for evacuation? Nigeria is greater and bigger than those countries. How many people are they evacuating compared to us? It has to be properly planned.”

413 killed – WHO

The World Health Organisation said on Friday at least 413 people had died in the ongoing Sudan conflict.

This is even as the United Nations Children’s Fund said the conflict is taking a devastating toll on Sudanese children and the toll will increase if the violence does not stop.

Fighting erupted last Saturday between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the capital, Khartoum, and its surroundings.

Referencing figures from the government of Sudan, the WHO spokesperson, Margaret Harris, told a UN press conference that 413 people had died and 3,551 injured in the conflict.

The fighting is part of ongoing clashes between the country’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Haris said there had been 11 verified attacks on health facilities, including 10 since April 15.

She stated, “According to the Ministry of Health in Sudan, the number of health facilities that have stopped working is 20. And also, according to Ministry of Health numbers, the number of health facilities at risk of stopping is 12.

“So this means that all those people who need care, and this is not only the people who’ve been injured hearing terrible fighting, but that the people who were needing treatment before and continuing treatment are impacted.”

UNICEF also said at least nine children had reportedly been killed in the fighting, and more than 50 children reportedly injured as hostilities continue in Khartoum, the Darfur and North Kordofan.

Nigerian students numbering over 1,262 have appealed to the Federal Government to evacuate them from the Republic of Sudan where a fierce military confrontation between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Force, has claimed 330 lives with 3,200 injured.

The Secretary-General of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Sudan, Adam Mohammed, who said this in an interview with The PUNCH on Thursday, lamented that many students had run out of food.

The clashes had also displaced thousands of civilians who fled the capital, Khartoum, even as some foreign nations, including Japan, Uganda and Tanzania had begun evacuating their nationals as the violence which started on April 8 entered its 12th day on Thursday.

Until recently, the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel al-Burhan, and the RSF paramilitary group, headed by General Mohamed Dagalo were allies.

They worked together in 2019 in a popular uprising that overthrew Sudan’s brutal dictator, Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for three decades.

After the coup, a power-sharing government was formed, made up of civilian and military groups.

The plan was for the interim government to rule Sudan for a few years and oversee a transition to a civilian administration but in 2021, al-Burhan, who had become chief of the power-sharing council, dissolved it, declaring he would instead hold elections in 2023.

The current fighting broke out between the army and the RSF as a result of failed negotiations over integrating the two forces ahead of the intended restoration of civilian rule.

There was disagreement over which general would be subordinate to the other, and how quickly the RSF would be incorporated into the Sudanese military.

Heavy fighting broke out on April 8, with the cities of Khartoum and Obdurman being turned into battlefields.

Though two ceasefires were agreed upon by the warring factions, both failed to stop the violence.

However, speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, the Secretary-General, NANS in Sudan, Mohammed, said no student had been hurt in the course of the war but he lamented that students were experiencing food shortages, electricity outages, and telecommunication blackouts.

Mohammed disclosed that he had written to the Federal Government about their situation, adding that moves to evacuate the stranded citizens were in top gear.

He further revealed that 1,262 Nigerian students had filled the evacuation forms as of Wednesday night.

Nigerian embassy

The Secretary-General said, “Everything is under control because the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan has spoken to the Nigerian government and preparations are ongoing. The Nigerian government is trying to send in some planes to evacuate Nigerian students in Sudan.

“Also, the members of the Parent-Guardian Association of Nigeria whose children or wards are schooling in Sudan have spoken to the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa to assist in the evacuation of Nigerian students. In summary, the situation concerning the Nigerian students here is under control.

“Presently, none of the Nigerian students in Sudan is hurt because everyone is indoors and they have all cooperated with us. So far, no light, water, bad (telecoms) network and some students have been complaining of no food and they cannot go out and restock.

“The current number of Nigerian students that filled their forms as of last night that are ready for the evacuation is 1,262.”

Also, the President of the Nasarawa State Students Association in Sudan, Al-Ameen Ahmad, said the students took precautionary measures to avoid being hurt or killed, adding that the association tried its best in providing food to the students.

Ahmad noted that he was in touch with the authorities to facilitate the evacuation of the students, noting that the list of prospective evacuees had been compiled.

He stated, “We do not have available flights to Khartoum. So, we are just going through the processes to see how the government can help evacuate Nigerian students. We have compiled the list of students that want to be evacuated back to Nigeria. We hope things get better.

“Before the Federal Government decided to intervene, we have been taking precautionary measures such as staying indoors to avoid being hurt. From the students’ association, we are using what we have to maintain ourselves and also reach out to others. There are also some supermarkets in safer places. We go there and buy foodstuffs when we know that it is safe, and we share with our colleagues.”

Narrating his ordeal, a student living in Khartoum, Abdullah Zakari, told The PUNCH that the gunshots were terrifying.

Zakari noted, “I am facing hunger because the markets where I stay are closed. We are suffering here. Every now and then, we hear gunshots. I feel insecure because the gunshots have been on for more than a week. Even as a man, it is scary. Things are really hard here. We are facing a lot. Where I stay is very close to the barracks and you can imagine the gunshots.”

Reliving the horrors of the conflict, the President of the International University of Africa in Sudan, Mohammed Jilambu, stated, “The situation here in Sudan is horrible as students have been experiencing the awful sounds of gunshots, artilleries, bombings, the collapse of residential and governmental buildings and it’s still ongoing for almost a week non-stop.

“Most of the residents are leaving the capital city Khartoum to neighbouring states. Our students across Khartoum are in terrible condition and we are currently experiencing a shortage of foodstuffs, an electricity blackout for almost a week in some areas, a lack of water, lack of medication for some of our female students who are critically ill. Medical facilities are not accessible; most of the hospitals are closed.

“We are calling on the Nigerian government and humanitarian agencies for immediate support because the situation keeps on escalating on a daily basis.”

On his part, the President of the Jigawa State Students Association in Sudan, Umar Abubakar who lived in Mujahideen, said he initially dismissed the conflict as a protest that would subside after a few days.


Abubakar explained that he was jolted to reality following the escalation of violence and killings of the people by the two parties involved in the clashes.

He said, “At first, I thought the conflict is like the normal protest the Sudanese periodically embark in their quest for democratic representation, but the situation is totally different as innocent citizens are being killed and maltreated as a result of this battle.’’

He added, “Yesterday (Wednesday), around 1 am, I received a call from some sisters that a medical student needed immediate medical attention. I could not reach her because there was no vehicle to take me to the place.

“The sisters around her tried their best to maintain her vitals until morning. We went to five different hospitals and unfortunately, all the hospitals were closed.

“With the help of Almighty Allah, we found one hospital, but there was no single medical doctor. One of the sisters that escorted us cried before the only nurse present in the hospital attended to us.

“I could not find a single pharmacy to buy the prescribed drugs. No pharmacy was open. The RSF (fighters) are everywhere. Everyone is terrified. I saw dead bodies on the ground and no one cared. We are stuck in darkness and our fellows are starving and lack basic items.”

Nigerians safe

In an interview with The PUNCH on Thursday, the Chairman of the Nigerian Community (Elders Forum) in Sudan, Dr Hashim Na’Allah, stated, “The only challenge Nigerians in Sudan, including students and businessmen face is the lack of movement due to the security situation in Sudan.

“One cannot go to a market like before and only a few traders could be seen at the market which leads to a shortage of food. We received a letter today from the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan to evacuate students and other Nigerians if the situation in Sudan does not improve. The embassy is still monitoring the situation but it is still making plans to evacuate Nigerians back home.”

Speaking with the Voice of America, Hausa Service, Umar Farouk alleged that unlike their counterparts from Niger Republic, Cameroon, and Kenya who were regularly updated on the precarious situation of the war by their respective embassies in Sudan, there was no information from the Nigerian Embassy.

Farouk said all Nigerian students were safe and that even in a university close to a military facility where some of the soldiers entered, nothing untoward happened to the students.

He ruled out the possibility of the over 2000 Nigerian students leaving the country either through the airport or moving to the border with neighbouring Egypt, adding that doing so would be difficult as “the airport is already closed for operation.”

“And if we are to move to the border with Egypt, how can such a large number of Nigerian students embark on such a long trip?” he asked.

Meanwhile, Japan, Uganda and Tanzania have commenced the evacuation of 545 citizens trapped in the deadly war in Sudan.

Japan has sent a military plane to evacuate 60 Japanese citizens while the Tanzanian government is at the point of airlifting 210 nationals.

Also, the Uganda foreign ministry disclosed that it was working to evacuate 275 nationals trapped in Khartoum.

After appraising the situation in Sudan, the Federal Government on Thursday said it had requested permission to evacuate Nigerians, especially students, trapped in the armed conflict.

It also reiterated the call for a ceasefire to enable the evacuation of foreign citizens.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Francisca Omayuli, on Thursday.

The statement read, “The Federal Government is deeply concerned about the escalation of conflict in Sudan between Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, which has brought death and untold suffering to civilians.

“The non-adherence of the warring parties to numerous international calls for a ceasefire has worsened the plight of civilians and made it impossible to embark on their evacuation. Nigeria, therefore, wishes to reiterate the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire.’’

“In the meantime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in contact with the Sudanese authorities and has, through the Nigerian Embassy in Khartoum, made an official request for permission to evacuate Nigerian students and other members of the Nigerian community who may wish to depart the country.

“Additionally, the Nigerian Embassy has created Whatsapp and Telegram platforms for the students and other Nigerians in Sudan, for the purpose of proper coordination and regular updates. Nigerians in the country are advised to remain indoors.”

330 killed

Worried by the escalating hostilities in Sudan, the World Health Organisation has expressed concern over the rising casualties which it put at 330.

The Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus in a statement on Thursday, also noted that nearly 3,200 people were injured.

Condemning the situation, he stated, “Over 330 people have died so far, and nearly 3200 are injured. I condemn all loss of life, especially attacks on civilians and health care.

“Reports of forces occupying health facilities are also deeply concerning. Attacks on health care are a flagrant violation of international and the right to health – they must stop!’’

“The lack of safe access to electricity, food, water, personnel, and the diminishing medical supplies are making it nearly impossible for many health facilities to function at the exact time when there are thousands injured in need of urgent care,” he noted.

The WHO chief, however, urged all sides to respect the truce so that those trapped by the fighting can seek refuge and access food, water, and medicine.

The Military High Command, on Thursday, played down the alarm raised by Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.

El-Rufai, who charged the military to step up its efforts, had said bandits could take advantage of the transition period to launch bloody attacks across the country.

The governor specifically called for sustained simultaneous ground and air kinetic actions across the seven frontline states in the North-West zone and Niger which had contiguous forest ranges and were most heavily impacted by the security challenge.

According to him, the operation was to prevent a dangerous lull during the transition period at the federal level which the criminal outlaws could exploit.

But reacting to El-Rufai’s alarm while answering questions from journalists shortly after bi-weekly press briefing at Defence Headquarters, Abuja, the Director, Defence Media Operation, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, described the alarm as “unnecessary”.

Danmadami, who recalled security advisories issued by the United States and United Kingdom, wondered why critical stakeholders have continued to make the Nigerian populace more apprehensive, insisting that the military is always ready to neutralize any threat.

“Just like the general elections have come and gone, winners have been announced, people are just being apprehensive by insinuating the security situations that are not there.

“You will recall that there was a US advisory warnings but up till now, there is nothing to show that, and we are still waiting for the consequences. People have been predicting that this country would finish but nothing has happened.

“Members of the Armed Forces like I always tell you, will continue to be on standby, we are not resting on our oars to ensure that peace and security of this country is sustained.

“I can equally assure you that the intelligence community too are working round the clock just like the armed forces are also working round the clock to ensure that there is peace and tranquility,” the senior military officer said.

The military’s spokesman disclosed that there were a lot of follow-up operations on a daily basis after the just-concluded general elections and people moving ammunition from one point to another to go and commit havoc were being arrested.

He stated: “I can assure you that there are a lot of follow-up operations going on every day. People are being arrested, people who are on the verge of trying to commit crime are being arrested, people who are moving ammunition from one point to the other to go and commit havoc are being arrested everyday as it was reflected in the brief for today.

“We are working round the clock, both the intelligence community and the Nigeria’s Armed Forces of Nigeria are working round the clock to make sure we nip these things in the bud and if it happens, we respond to it appropriately.

“So, there should be no fear, people should not be afraid that when they hand over there is going to be calamity all over the place. I can assure you that we are ready to address whatever calamity that wants to come up, we are ready for that.

“People should just go about their normal duties and forget about all this apprehension people are creating unnecessarily. There is no cause for alarm, everything is under control.

“On the long holiday, as usual, there was no problem, Easter came and went, the same thing, Sallah will come and go, and definitely there won’t be any problem. There may be one or two isolated cases but they will definitely be addressed.”

He also called on intelligence agencies to quickly expose those funding militant groups and by extension, terrorism.

The DDMO added, “Funding of militant groups, there are a lot of schools of thought as per who is funding of terrorism in Nigeria, I’ll allow the intelligence community to do that, that is not my job to do.”

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The Nigerian Army yesterday completed the pre-deployment training of 172 troops for peace-keeping mission in Guinea Bissau.
The troops began their pre-deployment training on March 21 at the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peace Keeping Centre (MLAILPKC), Jaji, Kaduna State.

The Chief of Operations (Army), Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, said the troops would be Nigeria’s company 2 Stabilisation Mission in the ECOWAS-support mission in Guinea Bissau.

Gen. Lagbaja, represented by the Director (Peace Support Operations), Maj.-Gen. Bayode Adetoro, said the graduation further confirms the commitment of Nigeria to deploy quality peacekeepers as part of its contributions to the quest for global peace and security.

He explained that the pre-deployment training was aimed at refreshing and polishing troops’ knowledge and expertise in peace-support operation.

“The training is to equip you with the requisite skills required to protect yourselves, ECOWAS Mission in Guinea Bissau equipment and the citizens of Guinea Bissau, your host nation, while carrying out the mission’s mandate.

“You are to discharge your duties in consonance with the mission’s mandate at all times. The rules of engagement in the mission give you the latitude to exhibit utmost professionalism in the discharge of your responsibilities. Additionally, you must respect the culture and religious sensitivity of the people of the host nation, and must not involve yourselves in trafficking of illicit substance of any kind,” Lagbaja warned.

Commandant of the MLAILPKC, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye, said the training was intense, comprehensive, and was conducted using the Standard United Nations Core Pre-Deployment Training Materials.

He added that the troops were taken through crosscutting issues like sexual exploitation and abuse; conflict related sexual violence, conduct and discipline as well as protection of civilians, among others.

The Commandant charged the troops on discharging their duties in line with the mission’s mandate, and urged them to adhere strictly to the mission’s rules of engagement.
He also urged them to carry out their duties bearing in mind the multinational, as well as cultural and religious diversities of the operating environment which underscore the need for courtesy and respect for their hosts as well as others.

Jones4190:
What position tinubu head in government since 2015?

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has described the events trailing Adamawa State supplementary governorship election as a game plan to upturn the democratic wishes of the people of the state.

Atiku, through a press release signed by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, said that the initial decision of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State to declare the APC candidate, Senator Aisha Binani, as the winner of the election, was a case study to the shambolic nature of the 2023 elections in general.

“Here in Adamawa, we are witnesses to a novel practice in election management where a Resident Electoral Commissioner announced the loser of an election as a winner

“It is not in doubt that INEC has approached the Adamawa State election with a preset agenda of declaring the APC at all cost.

“It is, therefore, on this note that we wish to call the attention of the world to the scheme being perpetrated by INEC to compromise the electoral wishes of the people of Adamawa State.

“We also wish to inform the world that such behaviour by INEC has a natural consequence of unsettling the peace and security of the society.

“We have seen how INEC conducted the February 25 and March 18 elections against the run of play and challenging cheated candidates to go to the court, knowing full well the agenda that they are up to.

“It must be put on record that the people of Adamawa State will not allow themselves to cheated three times in a row. It must also be put on record that whatever the consequences of the scheme being scripted, both the INEC and those vested with state powers should be blamed for the consequences of such actions.

“That the APC candidate has a prepared acceptance speech is a pointer to the guarantee of a false victory which the INEC must have promised her.

“Recall that this was the same Resident Electoral Commissioner who pressured the Returning Officer to manipulate the results of the contentious Fufore Local Government Area in the March 18 governorship election.

“The people of Adamawa shall not allow this injustice to pass without being challenged.

“We demand the immediate resumption of the collation of results and its finalisation today

“It is also our demand that the Adamawa REC and any other parties complicit in this treasonable act should be arrested immediately and prosecuted to the full extent of the law to serve as a deterrent to anti-democratic forces who may want to torpedo our democracy and provoke violence in our country,” the Wazirin Adamawa stated.

wizzybobo:
Team LP should go to Russia to shred APC's lies as well.

Kabirudeen25:
And of course Tinubu is not a member of the 'team Tinubu'. Fools!