Some Nigerians who managed to leave war-torn Sudan, are currently stranded on the journey from Khartoum to Cairo, in Egypt, after the drivers of the buses, after being paid to evacuate them, stopped in the middle of the desert and complained that the bus’s fuel had finished, and that the Federal Government has not remunerated them.
As of the time of filing this report yesterday afternoon, it was gathered that none of the Embassy officials are on the ground to explain to stranded Nigerians, especially the students, why the drivers have stopped the buses over their claim.
The evacuation of 2,400 students and other Nigerians trapped by the ongoing conflict in Sudan took-off on a slow start on Wednesday, as only 15 out of the 40 buses required for the exercise were provided.
In a video, which had been circulating on social media, students were stranded long frustrated in a quiet and desert environment.
Although the Federal Government hired 40 buses for the repatriation of the citizens from Khartoum and other cities to Egypt, only 10 buses were available as of Wednesday morning, while additional five buses were provided later in the day (Wednesday).
Speaking with newsmen yesterday, some students fear that the three-day ceasefire declared by the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Force expires Thursday (today) and they are yet to make buses available.
According to the Chairman of the Nigerian Community (Elders Forum) in Sudan, Dr. Hashim Na’Allah, stated “People are hungry and there is no concrete information from either the Embassy or the Committee in charge of the buses.
“People are sitting outside under high temperatures. The temperature is very high that people are very thirsty. Nowhere to find water to drink or buy food to eat”.
“In the next two to three days, if nothing is done to address this situation, Nigerian students might start dying”, he warned.
