NIDCOM gives Ukraine returnees $100 to aid resettlement

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) today Friday, gave all returnees from Ukraine $100 (about N48,000) to ameliorate their sufferings.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Head of Media and Public Relations, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abuja.

The first batch of 450 Nigerians stranded in Ukraine returned home from Romania through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

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Balogun said that the returnees, mostly students, arrived in Nigeria with Max Air flight 747 at 7:10 a.m.

The NIDCOM spokesman, however, said that the evacuees from Poland could not return on Thursday because their flight was rescheduled for Friday, to arrive in Abuja at 2.30p.m

He added that Airpeace left on Thursday to pick the passengers from Hungary, and was expected to arrive Abuja at 4.30p.m.

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Earlier, the passengers, numbering 416 from Romania, landed at the private jet terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by 7:10 am (WAT) via a Max Air flight on Friday.

They are mostly students who fled Ukraine to Romania following Russia’s invasion of the Eastern European country.

Asides from Romania, the pickup flights will evacuate Nigerians from Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary.

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Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier said about 5,000 Nigerians; are eligible for evacuation from the warring region. The country will spend $8.5m on the exercise.

Other flights are expected to arrive in the country in the coming days; as nations battle to evacuate their citizens.