Chairman of Air Peace Allen Onyema has said he would deploy about three jets to Egypt to evacuate Nigerians who have been displaced due to the fighting in Sudan.
Onyema’s commitment on Wednesday on Arise TV followed the Federal Government’s provision of buses to move Nigerians from Sudan to Egypt where they will be flown back to Nigeria.
Sudan’s airspace has been deemed unsafe after fighting broke out between factions loyal to two military generals in Sudan.
Onyema told Arise TV that he had spoken with the foreign affairs minister, the Nigerian ambassador to Egypt and Sudan, and the director-general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and plans have been concluded on evacuating the stranded Nigerians who are mostly students.
He said the evacuation would begin on Friday and he was doing it free of charge.
“I wanted to do it today (Wednesday) but I was told it would take two days to get to Egypt from Sudan by road. So I will be deploying on Friday,” he said.
“On Thursday night, I might send about three jets out to Egypt. I just pray no country delays us over flight permit issues so that we can get there on time and start moving our people immediately.”
Countries like the UK, France and Saudi Arabia have already evacuated their citizens. Fighting broke out in Sudan in mid-April.
