By Toby TAIWO
Hundreds of Nigerians yet to be airlifted back home have cried to the Federal Government to expedite action.
262 Nigerians arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, from South Africa last week Thursday aboard an Air Peace aircraft, among over one thousand who signified intention to return home.
According to Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, president of the Nigerian Citizens Association of South Africa (NICASA), many people are stranded in South Africa, awaiting evacuation by the Nigerian government.
Among them are women and children, who lack adequate shelter, food, transportation, and other necessities.
Onyekwelu noted that many prospective evacuees exhausted their limited resources while travelling to register and be screened, believing arrangements for
He said, “Hundreds of Nigerians who responded to the Federal Government’s evacuation programme have endured untold hardship following delays in the scheduled repatriation flights. Many of these citizens travelled from distant provinces across South Africa after being instructed to report for registration and screening.
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“Today, numerous families, including women and children, are stranded without shelter, food, transportation, or financial means to sustain themselves.”
The NICASA president described the plight of the stranded nationals as increasingly distressing, noting that some have been forced to sleep in difficult conditions while awaiting further information on their return to Nigeria.
One of them, who simply goes by the name Ekene, said: “We are sleeping in the open because we cannot go back home. We have to be together because we are afraid that moving alone is dangerous for us. We are afraid of the June 30 deadline given to us, which is also a few days away.”
He added that several of those affected had spent all available funds after undertaking long journeys in good faith, expecting that the evacuation process would proceed as planned.
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Onyekwelu called for immediate intervention to alleviate the suffering of the stranded Nigerians and ensure that they are safely and promptly returned home.
The situation is aggravated by a looming June 30 deadline imposed by local groups targeting foreign nationals.
The Nigerian Union South Africa (NNSA) and various community associations are actively supporting stranded citizens while demanding that the Federal Government clarify the cancelled flights.
