As the ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump between Israel and Iran in the ongoing war appears to grow more fragile, the federal government said it is closely monitoring the development in the two West Asian countries.
Punch quoted the spokesman for the ministry of foreign affairs, Mr Kimiebi Ebienfa as saying that the government was ready to act in the event of anything untoward.
“We are monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement closely. The safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad remains our top priority. We are ready to act if the situation changes,” he said.
Recall that the ministry had at the beginning of hostilities last week said it had finalised arrangements for the emergency evacuation of stranded Nigerians in Iran and Israel.
Ebienfa said in a statement that the government had instructed all affected Nigerians to contact the nearest Nigerian Embassy for registration and further instructions.
The ministry commended its missions in Tel Aviv and Tehran “for their dedication and commitment to reaching out to the Nigerian community at this difficult time”.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria remains committed to the safety and welfare of all its citizens both at home and abroad and is working in close coordination with relevant international partners and local authorities,” the statement said.
Although no timeline was given for the evacuation, the government said updates would be provided through official channels.
As of last week, nearly 1,000 Nigerians in Iran were awaiting evacuation, pending final approval from Armenian authorities to allow safe passage across the border.
According to the ministry of foreign affairs, the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran had completed logistics to transport citizens to Armenia, from where they would be airlifted to Nigeria via the capital, Yerevan.
However, while bus transportation had been secured, border clearance from Armenia was still pending.
To facilitate a smooth evacuation process, the Nigerian Embassy also submitted updated lists of evacuees—including personal details—to Iranian authorities.
Coordination with Tehran aims to prevent delays at the border and ensure an orderly transfer.
Countries that have airlifted its citizens from the two war zones include India which had evacuated 3, 170 under its ‘Operation Sindhu’.
Germany, Slovakia, Greece, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania and Serbia also repatriated their nationals from the region as the fighting between the Middle Eastern powers continues unabated.
Similarly, Australia facilitated overland evacuations from Israel and reported that nearly 2,700 of its citizens across Israel and Iran had sought help. China removed more than 1,600 citizens from Iran and hundreds from Israel.
