• Why smaller planes are sent to evacuate students in Port Sudan — FG
No fewer than 131 stranded Nigerian evacuees arrived in the country yesterday.
The Tarco Airline plane B737-300 that conveyed the third batch of returnee touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja 1.45pm.
This brings to 637 the number of evacuees airlifted back to Nigeria since the country started airlifting on Wednesday.
The first batch of 376 were airlifted on Wednesday by Air Peace and Nigerian Airforce plane, C 130 while the second batch of 130 comprising 99% females were airlifted by a Sudanese aircraft, Taco on Friday.
The first batch were airlifted from Egypt while the second batch came in from Port Sudan.
The 3rd batch was also from Port Sudan.
The Federal Government yesterday explained its challenges in sending bigger planes to evacuate stranded Nigerians from Sudan.
This is as the government also promised to take the returnees through trauma counselling.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management of Social Development, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo said only smaller planes can land in Port Sudan for now.
Sani-Gwarzo, however, said efforts were still on to get permit from the Sudanese government and other neighbouring countries so as to send bigger planes.
He spoke yesterday shortly after receiving the third batch of 131 stranded Nigerians from Port Sudan.
Speaking at the reception for evacuees, Sani-Gwarzo also gave the assurance that more planes will be going to Sudan.
- nation