Despite the rising war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Nigerian government has expressed alarm over the lack of readiness among many Nigerians living in Lebanon to return home.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, released a statement in which she stated that while over 2,000 Nigerians are now living in Lebanon, only approximately 500 of them have registered for evacuation.
“We will continue to do everything to ensure the safety of our citizens, even though the majority of them have not indicated a willingness to return home despite the persuasion by our embassy,” Abu-Obe declared.
Nigerians in Lebanon are being urged by the ministry to cooperate with the evacuation procedure, as defying it could lead to a worsening of the violence.
In order to prioritise the protection of its inhabitants, the government has triggered emergency protocols. To guarantee a seamless evacuation process, the government is working with multiple institutions, such as the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Department of State Services, and the National Emergency Management Agency.
The Nigerian Embassy in Beirut has been aggressively asking Nigerians to stay indoors and heed local authorities’ recommendations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated.
Additionally, it urged anyone who hasn’t already registered with the embassy to do so right away by sending an email to the address supplied.
The statement also stated that there haven’t been any deaths of Nigerians in the war yet. In order to assist with the evacuation from Beirut, where many Nigerians have fled from southern Lebanon—the epicenter of the conflict—arranges to deploy a C-130 aircraft or other flights that are available.
The Nigerian administration pledged to keep a close eye on the issue and expressed gratitude to the world community for its understanding.
