Sudan War: 3,108 Nigerians rescued, but FG still can’t say how many are left behind

More than 3,100 Nigerians have returned home from Sudan since war broke out in the North African country in April 2023, but authorities still do not know how many citizens remain trapped in the crisis-hit nation.

Fresh evacuation records from the Federal Government and the International Organisation for Migration show that at least 3,108 Nigerians have so far been brought back through emergency and humanitarian return operations.

The figure includes 2,518 Nigerians evacuated by the Federal Government in 2023 and 590 others returned through IOM-supported humanitarian flights between 2025 and 2026.

But officials familiar with the operation say the actual number of returnees may be higher, as some Nigerians reportedly found their own way out of Sudan or left through undocumented routes.

The first major evacuation was carried out between April and May 2023, shortly after fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

During that operation, the Federal Government deployed 15 special flights to rescue stranded Nigerians, many of them students.

Four of the flights departed from Aswan in Egypt, while 11 others took off from Port Sudan after Nigerians endured dangerous journeys through conflict zones to reach evacuation points.

The final batch of the government-led evacuees arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on May 13, 2023.

At the height of the rescue mission, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said the Federal Government spent at least $1.2m on the evacuation.

The money covered the procurement of 40 buses used to move Nigerians by road to the Egyptian border, with each bus reportedly costing about $30,000. It also included exit charges imposed by Egyptian authorities.

Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said at the time that no Nigerian casualty was recorded during the evacuation.

However, about 160 women and children whose Nigerian nationality could not be immediately verified were held back temporarily for profiling by officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Khartoum.

Although the emergency evacuation ended in May 2023, the war in Sudan worsened in the months that followed.

Many Nigerians who missed the first evacuation, or chose to remain in Sudan, later found themselves trapped as fighting spread beyond Khartoum to Darfur, Kordofan and other parts of the country.

To support those still stranded, the IOM began a Voluntary Humanitarian Return programme for vulnerable migrants and foreign nationals seeking to leave Sudan.

Under the programme, four chartered flights have evacuated 590 Nigerians.

According to IOM figures, 425 Nigerians returned in three batches in 2025, while another 165 were evacuated in 2026.

Most of the returnees were students whose studies were disrupted by the war, elderly persons, and Nigerians who lost their livelihoods as economic activities collapsed across parts of Sudan.

The IOM said returnees received post-arrival support in Nigeria, including medical care, counselling, mental health and psychosocial support, temporary transport assistance and reintegration help.

Some of them also benefited from entrepreneurship and business development training to help them restart their lives.

Despite the evacuation of thousands of Nigerians, the number of citizens still in Sudan remains unknown.

IOM Senior Communications Assistant, Elijah Elaigwu, said there was no verified figure for Nigerians who may have declined assistance or remained unreached.

“Unfortunately, at this time, there is no precise or verified figure for the number of Nigerians still in Sudan who may have declined assistance or remain unreached,” he said.

“The situation on the ground remains highly fluid, and access constraints in different parts of the country make comprehensive verification challenging.”

The uncertainty has raised fresh concern over the fate of Nigerians still living in Sudan as the conflict continues with no clear end in sight.

The Sudan war began on April 15, 2023, after a power struggle between the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti.

What started as clashes in Khartoum quickly escalated into a nationwide conflict, destroying infrastructure, crippling public services, disrupting schools and hospitals, and displacing millions of people.

Humanitarian agencies say conditions remain fragile despite reports that some displaced persons have returned to parts of Sudan, especially Khartoum and Aj Jazirah State.

Many of those returning are reportedly finding destroyed homes, damaged infrastructure and limited access to basic services.

For Nigeria, the rescue operation may have brought thousands home, but the biggest question remains unanswered: how many Nigerians are still left behind in Sudan?