The Director of Defence Information in Nigeria, Chris Olukolade (Major General) has said that the Nigerian Defence Ministry is involved in the evacuation and rapid repatriation of Nigerians trapped in the crisis-ridden Central African Republic.
The response, he stated is in compliance to President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive to engage the exercise, adding that the Ministry deployed a Nigerian Air Force Charlie 130 aircraft with compact medical and welfare personnel to ensure effective evacuation of the distressed Nigerian citizens. He noted that they were already in refugee situation in the troubled country.
According to him, the Nigerian Government is desirous to complement the efforts of other federal government agencies that are already on ground to facilitate the evacuation exercise. “Apart from the C130 aircraft provided by the Defence HQtrs, the Federal Government has also arranged several chattered flights to bring home the over 1,620 Nigerians who were sheltered at the Nigerian Embassy in Bangui,” he explained.
“About 831 Nigerians comprising men, women and children have already been airlifted home safely since the commencement of the exercise on Friday, 3rd of January, 2014; while the medical team from the Defence HQtrs has been on ground to offer medical assistance to the sick and the injured.”
Chris Olukolade added that Nigerian Embassy officials have expressed optimism that with the Defence HQtrs intervention and the two other planes chartered by the Federal Government, the evacuation exercise will soon be completed.
Also, the Chief of Defence Staff remarking on the issue has assured that the NAF C130 aircraft will continue the evacuation exercise until the last displaced Nigerian citizen in the Central African Republic is brought home safely. He commended the French forces, who he said are securing the Bangui International Airport for cooperating with the Defence HQtrs’ team and facilitating their successful evacuation of Nigerians.
In another development, the evacuees being presently profiled by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for onward transportation to their various home states have expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Government for coming to their aid when they needed it most.
Meanwhile, the Central African Republic’s debilitating internal crisis has resulted in a total breakdown in all the institutions of government, bringing about chaos, reckless killings and high rate of civil disorders.
Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Press Release
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