Federal gov’t evacuates stranded Nigerians in Dubai

The Federal Government of Nigeria has evacuated stranded Nigerians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) back home.

The returnees arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on board Maxair charted flight on Sunday morning at 4:29am.

The evacuees consisted of 79 males, 460 females and 3 infants.

They were received by a Federal Government team led by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and airport officials, security agencies including National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), NAPTIP, Nigerian Diaspora Commission, NDLEA, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Customs service, Port Health Services, NCDC and others.

On arrival, the returnees were screened by the Health officials, profiled by various relevant agencies and cleared by Nigerian Immigration Service before being given a token of transport fare by NEMA before leaving the airport.

Earlier, Director General NEMA Mustapha Habib Ahmed who officially received the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government admonished them to learn from their experiences and be law abiding citizens that promote economic growth and positive image of Nigeria.

The NEMA boss who was represented by the Director of Finance and Accounts Alhaji Sani Ahmed Jiba said the Federal Government had approved the evacuation and provision of the token for the returnees to support movement of the returnees back to their homes.

“On behalf of the Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), we are here to receive you back to Nigeria.

” On behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, who directed that we go to Dubai to bring our brothers and sisters who have been stranded there

” You have gone out there and have seen what is there. You have seen the condition there. It is not better than our country. We want you to be good ambassadors.

“Nigeria is our country. There is future in Nigeria. You are not all staying in Abuja, so the Federal Government has ordered that we give you all a token of 100 dollars each to assist in transportation to your various destinations”, he said

The Consul General of Nigeria in Dubai, Ambassador Atinuke Taibat Mohammed who accompanied the returnees back on the flight appreciated the Federal Government for the special intervention in the safe evacuation of the stranded citizens back home.

The returnees also expressed joy and happiness when Ambassador Atinuke asked them if they were happy to be back home as they all replied in unison that they were happy to be back home.

Speaking to journalists, one of the returnees, Precious Okorie narrated the unfortunate ordeals Nigerians are facing in Dubai.

“There are no jobs in Dubai. Once your employment Visa expires, we are denied visa renewal so we have to go into hiding with most of the girls engaging in prostitution.

“Some of the girls in Dubai came in through human trafficking and they are being maltreated by their traffickers

“I am happy to be back home. Nigerian youths should be discouraged from going to Dubai. The government of Nigeria should come to the aid of Nigerian youths and make Nigeria a better place so that they won’t be looking for greener pastures that does not exist in Dubai”,she lamented.