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Nigeria evacuates stranded nationals from Yemen

Xinhua, June 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Nigerian government on Wednesday said it has received the first batch of citizens in Yemen as the West African country commenced the evacuation of its citizens from the crisis-ridden nation.

The exercise was in line with the government's directive to immediately evacuate Nigerians stranded in Yemen, Muhammad Sani- Sidi, the Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told reporters at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The Nigerian official said the operation was ongoing as the government, alongside its Embassy in Saudi Arabia, was working in collaboration with the government of Saudi Arabia to ensure their safe return.

"Yemen is at war and the government directed that Nigerians stranded in Yemen should be evacuated and there are about 58 Nigerians that are stranded there," he added.

The returnees had undergone the preliminary stages of their resettlement as they have been tested by the ports health authorities and have been profiled and registered in the data base, Sani-Sidi said.

The Nigeria government would continue to assist them until they were fully settled in with proper means of livelihood, he added. Endi