Victor Ezeja
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has called on the Nigerian government to expedite efforts in rescuing its citizens trapped in Sudan as a result of the ongoing conflict.
Over 4,000 Nigerian students are reportedly stranded in the Northeast African country.
The conflict which started on April 8, between a paramilitary group, Rapid Support Force, and the Sudanese armed forces, has claimed over 400 lives with many injured.
The Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel al-Burhan, and the RSF paramilitary group, headed by General Mohamed Dagalo, have been allies but recently separated.
The Nigerian government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had earlier said it was making plans to go and evacuate the citizens in Sudan.
However, on Friday, the Executive Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the tensed situation in Sudan in which no flight can land, makes it “gravely risky” and difficult for the stranded Nigerians to be evacuated at this time.
Reacting to that, Obi in a statement posted on his official Twitter handle on Sunday, implored the Federal Government to take urgent measures to rescue stranded Nigerians there.
He added that government ought to be proactive in dealing with the matter to avoid losing the life of any citizen there since the “Sudanese crisis is not a natural disaster,” that suddenly occured.
“I’m sad and concerned by the reports that Nigerians trapped in Sudan have not been evacuated. While we understand the extreme challenges in Sudan, we deeply implore the Federal Government of Nigeria to expedite all efforts to rescue about 4000 Nigerians that are mostly students in Sudan to safety,” Obi stated on his Twitter handle on Sunday.
“Moreover, as the Sudanese crisis is not a natural disaster that happened suddenly, it will be sad to lose any Nigerian to the conflict, especially now that we need all hands to create and sustain a New Nigeria.
“Since it is the statutory responsibility of FGN to protect Nigerians at home in Nigeria and abroad, it is important that we attend to such issues with more deserving proactiveness and commitment as the life of every Nigerian is sacred and important.
A New Nigeria is really imperative and Possible,” he added.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
