THE Federal Government said Nigerians willing to leave Ukraine in the wake of Russian aggression would be evacuated as soon as the country’s airports are reopened for flights.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this in a statement on Thursday.
According to the statement signed by the ministry’s spokesperson Francisca Omayul, the news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine came the Nigerian government as a surprise.
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The statement said the ministry has been reassured by the Nigerian Embassy in Ukraine of the safety of Nigerians in that country and measures being taken to keep them safe and facilitate the evacuation of those who wish to leave.
“The Federal Government wishes to assure the families with loved ones in Ukraine that as soon as the airports in the country are opened, it would assist in facilitating the evacuation of Nigerians who are willing to leave.”
The statement added that the ministry has confirmed that the Russian aggression was confined to Ukraine’s military installations.
In a related development, the House of Representatives on Thursday called for the immediate evacuation of Nigerians in Ukraine.
A lawmaker Ahmed Munir, who moved the motion during plenary, expressed concerns that many Nigerian students in Ukraine could be caught in the crossfire.
But some lawmakers feared that it might be too late as the evacuation should have been done long ago.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila said the lawmakers are going to interact with the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, on ways to evacuate Nigerians from Ukraine by Monday, February 28.
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs was also mandated to liaise with the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Embassy in Ukraine has urged Nigerians to take personal responsibility for their security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered “special military operation” in Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday.
Russia claims it is targeting Ukrainian military installations, including air bases, but there are fears that many civilians have been killed in air raids.
The United States had earlier advised all its citizens in Ukraine to leave after it became imminent that Russia was going to attack the country, but the Nigerian government failed to do same.
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