Russia-Ukraine War: 200 Nigerians Apply To Join Ukrainian Army As FG Evacuates 2,090 Today | GOVERNMEND
Air Peace, Max Air to airlift 650 from Hungary, 350 (Poland), 940 (Romania), 150 (Slovakia) | FG earmarks $8.5m for 5,000 evacuees | 370 Nigerian students trapped in Ukraine | Evacuate all Nigerians, not only students, ex-Ambassador, Gana Yisa, tells government
Nearly 200 Nigerians have volunteered to be recruited into the Ukrainian Army to help the country resist the invasion by Russia, which entered its seventh day yesterday.
LEADERSHIP visited the Ukrainian Embassy in Abuja yesterday and can authoritatively confirm that the number of Nigerian volunteers is increasing and might hit 400 before the week runs out.
A source, who does not want his name on print because he is not authorised to speak on the matter, told our correspondent that “about 200 Nigerians have applied to go and fight for Ukraine in the struggle against Russian invasion and the number is increasing.”
He said the government of Ukraine had shortlisted about 100 who are the most qualified because the Ukrainian government has more preference for ex-servicemen and those with military background and can handle weapons.
The source, however, said that the volunteers will have to first sponsor themselves to Poland where Ukrainian officials are waiting for men with all the necessary incentives, including military equipment and training before they would be deployed to the battle field.
He added that all necessary arrangements for their payment and other motivations had been made by Ukrainian authorities.
Also speaking on that matter, Second Secretary at the Ukrainian Embassy in Abuja, Bohdan Soltys, told LEADERSHIP that the embassy was compiling the list of eligible volunteers, adding that over 100 applications had been received by the Embassy as of yesterday.
He, however, said the embassy had not received specific instructions from the Ukrainian government on what to do next and, therefore, cannot comment on the sponsorship of the Nigerians.
He said, “Because we don t have any specific instructions from the Ukrainian government, what we do now is we make a list of people who want to be volunteers and wait for our government to give us instructions on what to do.
“We have received over 100 applications from Nigerians who want to join the Ukrainian Army to fight Russia.”
Bohdan Soltys also disclosed that about 370 Nigerian students are trapped in a Ukrainian city as Russian forces intensify their assault on Ukrainian cities.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP yesterday, he said that the students in the city of Sumy had been trapped and had no easy exit because the city had been surrounded by Russian troops.
He urged the Nigerian government and the international organisations, especially humanitarian agencies, to act urgently to save the beleaguered Nigerian students from the “rampaging and vicious” Russian troops.
“Sumy University is one of the best universities in Ukraine and it has hundreds of Nigerian students. 370 Nigerian students are stranded in this city because it is now surrounded by Russian troops and they cannot get out. I believe the embassy of Nigeria in Ukraine should call on Nigerian government to negotiate with Russia to create a green corridor for the students to get out of the city,” the envoy said.
Meanwhile President Muhammadu Buhari has approved $8.5 million for the immediate evacuation of at least 5,000 Nigerians fleeing the Ukrainian war.
Minister of state for foreign affairs, Zubairu Dada, said the approval was issued yesterday at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Dada said Air Peace and Max Air airlines had been contracted to provide three aircraft to facilitate the evacuation of Nigerians and bring them home in safety and dignity.
The Nigerian public is today expecting the evacuation of Nigerians who have found their way to Hungary, Poland, Hungary and other eastern European countries as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a move that has elicited global condemnation and sanctions.
2,090 Nigerian Evacuees To Arrive Today
The federal government has commenced the evacuation of Nigerians affected by the Ukraine war. About 2,090 Nigerian evacuees are expected in the first batch of those to be repatriated home today from countries surrounding Ukraine.
Minister of foreign affairs, Godfrey Onyema, had said there were about 8,000 Nigerians in Ukraine, 5,000 of whom were students, adding that the federal government had tipped Air Peace and Air Max to airlift the Nigerians who wanted to be evacuated.
However, in a press statement by the permanent secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, he said the chartered flights from Max and Air Peace would depart yesterday, March 2, 2022 to pick up Nigerians and bring them back home.
Ambassador Aduda said the records of evacuees received by Nigerian embassies are 650 persons in Hungary, 350 in Poland, 940 in Romania and 150 Nigerians in Slovakia.
The statement reads, “In furtherance to our efforts to evacuate Nigerians from the neighbouring countries to Ukraine, we can confirm that chartered flights will depart on Wednesday, March 2, 2022 to pick up Nigerian evacuees back home.
“So far, we have the following records of evacuees received by Nigerian embassies. They countries are Hungary (650 persons), Poland (350 persons), Romania (940 persons) and Slovakia (150 persons).”
He, however, stated that the first batch of evacuees are expected to arrive in Nigeria today.
“The capacity and route of the airlines are as follows: Max Air to Romania, 560 persons. Air Peace to Poland, 364 persons, and Air Peace to Hungary, 360 persons.
“The first batch of evacuees are expected to arrive Nigeria on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Once again, we assure Nigerians that we are working round the clock to see that our citizens are brought back home safely.”
He asked Nigerians to make use of Consular helplines: +234 916 084 7498, +234 701 088 2907.
Meanwhile the government in another statement disclosed that only documented Nigerians would be eligible for evacuation.
It said, “Intending evacuees should kindly note that only persons documented with the Nigerian Embassies will be eligible for evacuation. Consequently, those yet to register for the exercise are advised to do so, as it is a mandatory requirement.
“Those without passports will be issued Emergency Travel Certificates (ETC) to enable them to travel back home.”
It said further that for documentation and further inquiries, the following Embassies: should be contacted; Nigerian Embassy, Bucharest, Romania: +40786091964; +2348032882810 (WhatsApp) Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
The second one is Nigerian Embassy, Warsaw, Poland: +48889410270; +48579201775
Email: [email protected], while the third one is Nigerian Embassy, Budapest, Hungary: +36308202903; +36308639203 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Evacuate all Nigerians, not only students, Amb Yisa tells FG
Former Nigeria Ambassador to Japan, Professor Gana Yisa, has urged the federal government to ensure that every Nigerian in war-torn Ukraine is brought back to the country, and not to restrict evacuation to students alone.
Professor Gana, who said that many countries had evacuated their citizens from Ukraine long before the war started, having seen the preparedness of Russia to attack Ukraine, wondered why Nigeria did not follow suit.
But Nigeria’s envoy to Japan, who described the attack on Ukraine by Russia as unwarranted and most unfortunate, lamented that Nigeria had not been proactive in handling issues of her citizens in Ukraine.
Professor Gana, a former Commissioner for Agriculture and former Deputy Speaker in Kwara State before his ambassadorial appointment, spoke in an interview with journalists in Ilorin yesterday.
He said, “As a country, we are used to fire-brigade approach, but we must have learnt that it doesn’t work. We have to be proactive, be willing and able to take care of our citizens wherever they are.
“There are up to 8,000 Nigerians there and the government is looking forward to evacuating 2,000 in the next couple of days. The question is, what happens to others?
“I also heard the minister say some people went there on their own – as if they are not Nigerian citizens. A good government doesn’t do that. A citizen of this country is a citizen of this country, no matter where he or she finds himself or herself, ” he added.
Source: Leadership
