Nigeria provides 3 free flights to evacuate citizens stranded in UAE

The Federal Government has disclosed plans to provide three free flights to help evacuate Nigerians stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The plan for the evacuation flights is coming after the UAE asked Nigerian citizens living in the country whose visas have expired to leave before August 17, 2020 or be punished accordingly.

Speaking to journalists at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,
(MMIA), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, said following the announcement by UAE for
all illegal immigrants in Dubai to leave the country before August 17, the Nigerian Mission in UAE is working with the Dubai administration to provide three free flights to bring back stranded Nigerians in the next couple of days.

“If you are in Dubai without your papers, you better come back home because all illegal occupants in that country are being sent back. Please come back home as free flights will be made available,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

She said Saudi Arabia wants to repartraite 200 Nigerian prisoners because they want to decongest their prison.

She disclosed that the mission is working with Saudi Arabia to make that happen.

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She clarified that the mission is not demanding money to repartraite Nigerians from Saudi Arabia, adding that people should be weary of the videos been circulated.

“President Buhari has ordered that Nigerians stranded in different countries be brought back home and they are being brought back home,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa also announced the arrival of 94 Nigerian girls trafficked to Lebanon, some of which were part of those seen
in a viral video sleeping somewhere in Lebanon.

“Before the ladies came, the embassy kept them in a safe place and another set will be coming in in the next few days and another set will be coming to Abuja next week.

“Big gratitude goes to Lebanese ambassador to Nigeria working with our Nigerian ambassador in Lebanon, the Nigerian Mission in Lebanon and a lot of Non Governmental Organizations who got together to make this happen.

“I want to thank the governor of Oyo, Osun and Lagos that made efforts to receive their citizens and take care of them. Some of these returnees will be involved in the 774,000 jobs that this administration will be providing,” she said.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.