Saudi Arabia found 11,600 Nigerians reportedly stranded within the nation and is planning to airlift them back home.

The list contains Nigerians who had visited the nation for umrah – a lesser hajj.

Saudi formally said they are going to be taking charge of airlifting all Nigerians who got here into the Kingdom for Umrah and or visit.

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Saudi Arabia recognized about 11,600 Nigerians reportedly stranded within the nation. Many because of the coronavirus disease, and is planning to airlift them back home, an official has stated.

The Nigerian embassy official, aware about the event requested not named as he was not authorised to talk to journalists. Stated the Saudi’s choice contained in a letter addressed to the embassy a couple of weeks in the past.

The source added that the list, in accordance with the Saudis. Contains Nigerians who had visited the nation for umrah – a lesser hajj. Held up by the movement restrictions launched by Saudi authorities as a part of containment measures.

The kingdom, which recorded its index coronavirus case on March 2. Had initially imposed a travel ban on some neighbouring international locations. Before extending it to include European countries and 12 others, on March 12.

The Minister of International Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, confirmed the event. He stated Nigeria’s logistics challenge has been chargeable for the delay within the repatriation. He also advised that a number of the stranded Nigerians would have landed a few week in the past. However, the nation doesn’t have sufficient amenities to accommodate all of them for the 14-day quarantine interval.

He stated; “We’re conscious of this… The truth is, they wished to land last week, however they couldn’t as a result of no arrangement to receive them.

“As you heard, we’ve got a capability we will take up. The medical people have to observe them for 2 weeks for quarantine. However there may be only a certain number of port health authority employees. Who’re in a position to monitor all these individuals as they arrive in.

“Because the SGF stated, we’ve got to finish those we’ve got, then enable some more to come back in. We can’t permit all people to come back in. We don’t have the capacity to house them and in addition to observe them medically.”

The Nigerian embassy in Saudi Arabia shocked by the massive number of Nigerians contained on the Saudi’s list of Nigerians repatriated. Responded to the letter by looking for clarification on how the kingdom arrived at such.

The Saudis noted that solely 340 Nigerians have indicated their willingness to return home. The Saudi authorities, due to this fact, wrote to seek the embassy’s cooperation in the search “for the remaining 11,260.”

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“The Saudi authorities formally said that they are going to be taking charge of airlifting all Nigerians. Got into the Kingdom for Umrah and or visit and stranded because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the official stated.

He added that the embassy “has requested the Saudi authorities to furnish it with extra detailed data on what they must allow it know the best way to play its personal function accordingly.”