4th May, 2023
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The first batch of 376 Nigerian students stranded in war-torn Sudan have arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The students came aboard Air Peace plane from Egypt. The students had been stranded on the boarder of Egypt after they escaped from Sudan.
The plane landed few minutes to 12 midnight at the airport.
Before their arrival, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa had said the plane would land in Abuja around 11:23pm on Wednesday.
She had tweeted: “Finally , homeward bound as the NAF C-130H aircraft has departed Aswan and is expected to touch down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja by 2340hrs (11.23pm) tonight.#Sudan . We pray for journey mercies.”
Also, it was learnt that the second batch of Nigerian students stranded in Sudan have also arrived as the Nigerian Air Force plane arrived the airport shortly after the air peace aircraft.
An armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan began on 15 April 2023. It started when clashes broke out in western Sudan, in the capital city of Khartoum, and in the Darfur region.
As of 25 April, at least 559 people have been killed and more than 4,000 others had been injured, with many displaced.