Chinelo Obogo
The Federal Government has evacuated 253 Nigerians from the United Kingdom as 260 British citizens were airlifted back to the United Kingdom.
A British Airways Boeing 747 repatriation flight BA9155 with registration number G-CIVO and 253 Nigerians onboard, landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos at 1.45pm local time while the same aircraft evacuated 260 British nationals back to the UK by 6pm local time. Saturday Sun learnt that 16 doctors were part of the 32 member crew that came in from the UK and also left with the BA flight that took Britons to Heathrow Airport, London. After landing, some of the Nigerian passengers were getting set to be transferred into a waiting Air Peace B777-300 aircraft to Abuja where they will undergo mandatory isolation for 14 days after which if they test negative for COVID-19 will be allowed to go to their families.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffery Onyeama at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing had explained that the constraint of Nigeria in bringing back its nationals is hotel accommodation
He stated that due to lack of facilities in Lagos where the aircraft would land, the evacuees will be transported to Abuja where there are enough facilities for isolation and once their two weeks is done something will be worked out to return them to Lagos which was the initial final destination of most of the passengers.
An Emirates flight had on Wednesday brought back 256 Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates in what was the first batch of Nigerians that were evacuated.
