GUEST COLUMN: The Cry of Distressed Nigerians in a War-torn Country
By Lawan Bukar Maigana
AREWA AGENDA – It is still raging. The fight in Sudan between two factional military groups which started on April 15 — about two weeks ago, has left hundreds of persons dead. Thousands have also fled for their safety.
A large number of foreigners in Sudan, especially diplomats and students have been evacuated by their governments. But some are still stranded in the Sahara desert and in schools, among which are Nigerians.
Heartbreakingly, videos and audio of young Nigerians have emerged online showing how helpless they have been since the war in Sudan broke out. Some of them claimed that they didn’t eat for days and that life has been hell for them since the start of the war and the power struggle is still unfolding, leaving millions of people in fear.
No responsible country will leave its citizens at the mercy of rival factions whose attacks on each other can claim lives and properties. Therefore, it is baseless for anyone to compare the Ukrainian war and Sudan’s because the Ukrainian airport was not targeted by Russian soldiers which is why countries were able to pick up their people safely and peacefully but that of Sudan was and still is.
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If Nigeria had insisted on evacuating Nigerians on the very day the Turkish plane was attacked, many lives would have been lost because the Nigerian plane, too, would have been attacked but the almighty saved Nigerians. The government got some privileged information about the massive plan to attack evacuation planes, which was hitherto unavailable.
Hence, the Nigerian embassy wrote to the students urging them to be patient and pack their belongings so they could be transported to Egypt by road where they can be brought home safely without any fear of attacks or victimization by anyone. This has saved the lives of my fellow citizens.
In appreciation, one of the ladies who was seen crying profusely calling on the Nigerian government to come to their aid has again made another video saying over 20 luxurious cars have successfully evacuated Nigerian students who were helpless and stranded in Khartoum, the Capital of Sudan.
She added that the government has again sent its representatives to Egypt to work on releasing students who were unable to cross the border due to some issues related to diplomacy. They, too, have been successfully cleared and they are in Egypt.
It is important for Nigeria’s incoming government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Senator Kashim Shettima to, as leaders of the giant of Africa, intervene. They should quickly come to the aid of distressed Nigerians still residing in Sudan. Their prevailing agony can only be imagined. Delay is dangerous, as it is often said in our local parlance.
Lawan Bukar Maigana writes from Maiduguri and can be reached via email: [email protected]
