30th July, 2018
The Federal Government has assured that it would soon commence the last evacuation of Nigerian football fans stranded in Russia after 2018 World Cup Tournament.
The Embassy of Nigeria in Moscow, Russia, said this in a statement made available to newsmen by its First Secretary, Mr Desmond Nwosu, on Sunday in Abuja.
Nwosu urged the stranded fans to report at the Embassy for registration on July 30th, while the mission awaits flight information.
“In line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to bring all stranded Nigerian fans who visited Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup back home, the government of Nigeria will carry out the last evacuation soon.
“Consequently, the Embassy of Nigeria in Moscow is requesting all Nigerians with fan ID and Nigerian passport to report to the embassy on Monday July 30, for registration,” he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said that 75 out of 230 stranded Nigerian Football fans absconded in Russia after the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The ministry’s Spokesperson, Dr Tope Fatile, said the fans absconded in spite of government’s efforts to repatriate them.
Fatile said that 230 stranded Nigerian football fans were profiled to board Ethiopian Airline to Abuja but at the last minute, only 155 boarded the flight that arrived Abuja on July 22.
He said that though they had the rights not to come back but it would be better for them to return because of the unfavorable weather in that country.
He said that if, however, they repented and decided to come back, the ministry was ever ready to assist them.
Fatile said that the federal government was ever willing to assist Nigerians at anytime, anywhere in the world.