By Nurat Uthman
Respite may be coming the way of the over 4,000 Nigerians presently trapped in war-torn Sudan as the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema has expressed the willingness to evacuate the stranded Nigerians from the North-East African country free of charge.
Onyema who said the Nigerian students and others urgently needed help said if the Nigerians could be moved to a neigbouring country the airline would fly there and evacuate them since Sudan’s airspace is closed from civil aviation flights.
Onyema said he is compelled to help because Nigeria cannot afford to lose her citizens in that country, adding that it would be his own commitment to making sure that the stranded Nigerians in the war-torn country are safe.
According to him, everything must not be left for government alone, especially as the situation calls for urgency and immediate action.
His words: “Again, Air Peace is willing to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Sudan free of charge if government can get them to a safe and secure airport in any of the neighbouring countries bordering Sudan. Everything must not be left for government and government alone. It will be a privilege and honour of tremendous pride that we will be out there to give every Nigerian stranded in Sudan a sense of pride and oneness in their country.
“We are very ready to do it immediately. No time wasting. Any action that would promote national pride, national cohesion, peace and unity, we are for it. Again, we have no apologies for believing in our nation and loving the nation despite certain national challenges. If they are moved to Kenya or Uganda or any other country, we will move in to get them out. Some parents have started calling on us to help. We are ready to do this again and again”.
Air Peace had in 2019 deployed aircraft to South Africa to evacuate Nigerians caught up in xenophobic attacks against Africans particularly Nigerians living in that country which threatened the lives of Nigerians.
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