Criminals Now Surround Us In Sudan – Nigerian Student Cries Out
- Begs FG for immediate evacuation
A Nigerian student, Fauziyya Idris Safiyo, currently stranded in Sudan, has raised an alarm that students of Nigerian origin are not only trapped in the crisis-ridden country but also surrounded by criminals.
Safiyo, who managed to flee Khartoum to the border town of Gallabat on Sudan-Ethiopian shores, said the situation is getting out of control as the hostilities escalate on a daily basis.
According to her; “We could hear gunfire and bomb explosions from every direction. Jet fighters are firing shelling too. There’s no food, water, or medicine. We couldn’t travel anywhere. We run out of money. And there’s a surge of criminals all over.”
She said though many countries have started the evacuation of their nationals, there’s nothing regarding the evacuation of Nigerians in the North African country, adding; “It’s only Nigerians left stranded with many women among us.”
Further lamenting the plight of Nigerian students, Safiyo said “Some neighboring countries like Ethiopia do not allow Nigerians to enter their countries without a visa.”
Also speaking on the difficult situation they are currently facing in the North African country, President of Nigerian Students of Sudan International University, Muhammad Nura Bello, said there is a total blackout and even the Sudanese are also fleeing their homes.
“Most of the students are very apprehensive as some have already ran out of foodstuffs and you can also see that even the nationals are fleeing too,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government is making frantic efforts on evacuating Nigerians in Sudan, according to Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.
He said on Sunday that the presidency is worried over thousands of its citizens stuck in the troubled-hit North African nation due to the dangers posed to air travel in the area.
Speaking via his Twitter handle, Shehu wrote: “Nigerian government has been having sleepless nights following the ongoing crisis in Sudan. Our officials are doing a lot, coordinating with the Embassy in Khartoum, as well as the Sudanese and Ethiopian governments trying to ensure the safety of the large number of our citizens there.
“Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, who is coordinating these efforts, is quite optimistic that they will start moving people to safety as soon as possible.”
Currently, about 4000 Nigerians are trapped as a result of fighting between forces loyal to Sudan’s Army Chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the deviant para-military Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
So far, hundreds have been killed since the fight broke out between the forces loyal to the two rival generals in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. – With Agency reports
