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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
After being stranded for three days in Aswan, the Egyptian border with Sudan, Nigerians fleeing the war-torn country can now return home following the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to a post on the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Twitter handle, an Airforce plane had already arrived in Aswan, Egypt, to start the process of evacuating the first set of Nigerians.
“UPDATE: With the intervention of President Buhari, Egypt has finally opened its border to Nigerians fleeing Sudan. With an Airforce plane already on the ground in Aswan, Egypt, the processing of the first set of evacuees will begin,” the agency said in a tweet.
The Nigerians, who are mainly students, have been stranded at the Egyptian border for three days, with the Egyptian authorities insisting on clearing all 637 Nigerians before they are allowed into their country.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, had expressed concern over the Egyptian authorities position on Sunday.
“The Egyptian authorities have not opened its border with Sudan for the students three days after their arrival. They have insisted on clearing all the 637 Nigerians before they could be allowed entry into their country,” Onyeama said.
The Nigerian government had planned to move the students to Port Sudan for evacuation if the Egyptian authorities continues to delay.
However, with the border now reopened, Nigerians in Sudan can return home amid the ongoing crisis in the country.