LAGOS, Nigeria – In a striking development, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, has levelled serious allegations against the Nigerian federal government.
Despite approval of $1.2 million for the evacuation of stranded Nigerians in Sudan, CISLAC has dubbed the government’s efforts a ‘fake’ evacuation plan.
Auwal Rafsanjani, the executive director of CISLAC, publicly expressed his dissatisfaction on Saturday, April 29, 2023, particularly concerning the dire circumstances of stranded students eager to reunite with their families.
Rafsanjani revealed that, in their desperation, some students had been forced to resort to paying local bus drivers to escape the escalating conflict in Sudan.
This revelation starkly contrasts the government’s assurances of a planned and funded evacuation process.
“We are worried that students are contributing the little they have to pay for their transportation to neighbouring countries which is very risky and dangerous because the government has made fake promises to provide transportation to evacuate them,” Rafsanjani stated. “The federal government has remained unperturbed as it failed to explain the situation.”
An estimated 5,500 Nigerians have been trapped in Sudan since April 15 due to violent clashes between warring factions. This surge in conflict has spurred many countries to urgently evacuate their nationals.
In Nigeria’s case, however, its citizens’ evacuation has been steeped in controversy.
Despite complaints of neglect from stranded students, the federal government announced that the evacuation process had begun on Wednesday.
Contradicting the government’s claims, the Nigerians slated for evacuation did not arrive in Abuja on Friday as promised.
This inconsistency has further fuelled skepticism around the integrity of the government’s evacuation plan, leaving many to wonder about the fate of the stranded Nigerians in Sudan.
