Nigeria makes frantic effort to rescue trapped nationals in Sudan

The Nigerian Government said that it is in talks with Egypt to evacuate its nationals trapped in Sudan, where fighting between government forces and rebels had continued unabated.

The minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said on Channels television that plans were on to evacuate about 5,500 Nigerians through a safe corridor passing through Egypt by road.

Equally, Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesperson, tweeted that Nigeria and Ethiopia are also having discussions on how to “ensure the safety of the large number of our citizens there.”

“Nigerian  government has been having sleepless nights following the ongoing crisis in Sudan, ” Shehu said.

Stating the intensity of the fighting, another senior official Abike Dabiri, said the situation in war-torn country had made rescue of foreign nationals so far difficult.

Dabiri, who is the chairperson, Nigerian Disapora Commission, said that the “situation does not allow anybody to go in and pick any of their citizens.” She added that France and Qatar retreated after their failed attempts to equally rescue their nationals to safety.

It is believed that a large number of Nigerians are studying in the Muslim African country.

The fighting between the Sudan military and the insurgent paramilitary troops- the Rapid Support Force-has claimed over 400 lives so far, according to reports.Â