34 Nigerians were evacuated from Ivory Coast in a private flight that arrived at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny International Airport, Abidjan at exactly 7.35pm (local time) on the 29th Wednesday, July 2020.
The Nigerians stranded in various parts of Ivory Coast, gathered in Abidjan for days as the process for their evacuation was being implemented, till they were finally airlifted on the 29th Wednesday July, 2020.
It had been an immensely traumatizing time for many of these Nigerians; some came to the country on a working purpose but got stuck, since the Covid-19 lockdown in March of the West Africa country.
The 34 Nigerians were excited to make it back home as it has been months of unforgettable experience in Ivory Coast.
The Minister/ Chargé D’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Ivory Coast, Mr. Mohammed Gana was full of excitement as the evacuation process got to it concluding part, with the plane departing the Ivorian airport.
Gana said, “I’m so excited that everyone can go back to their families, friends and loved ones.”
He confirmed that many stranded Nigerians had been evacuated earlier and many more would be evacuated soonest in the course of the week.
The Minister said that the Nigerian Embassy in Ivory Coast is working in collaboration with a local airline to airlifts the remaining stranded Nigerians in the coming days.
According to him, every detail of the evacuation is being finalized in order to get the remaining stranded Nigerians out of Ivory Coast.
Mr. Mohammed Gana called on other Nigerians stranded in Ivory Coast to get in touch with the Nigerian Embassy in earnest as it is of utmost importance to the Embassy that every Nigerian stranded in Ivory Coast gets back home as soon as possible and advised, that it is very risky for anyone to pass through any unauthorized passage because the regrets are so much more than the advantage.
The Minister/ Chargé D’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Ivory Coast, Mr. Mohammed Gana and his team were on ground at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Airport to monitor, supervised and coordinate the flight, which took off by 10.05pm (local time).
One of the evacuees, a journalist who pleaded anonymity said, “I had suffered beyond imagination for the past four months and the only thing that matters now is to get back to my family, who had gone through enormous obstacles during my absence as I’m the bread winner of the house.”
Many of the stranded Nigerians were delightful as the plane bid the ground farewell.
It was an amazing relief for the evacuated Nigerians as they will be with their families soon after undergoing the Covid-19 test processes imposed by the Nigerian authorities.
As expected, the returnees must go through the mandatory Covid-19 test, self-isolate then return to the Immigration office to retrieve their seized passport after 14 days.
Photo: The Minister/ Charge D’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Ivory Coast, Mr. Mohammed Gana and the Chancery of the Nigerian Embassy in Ivory Coast, Mrs. Esther Egin at the airport all night and all day through till the flight departed Ivory Coast on Wednesday.
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