Sudan: Nigerians being evacuated stranded in desert as bus drivers lament lack of fuel for movement

Nigerians who were meant to have been rescued from the conflict torn Sudan are currently stranded on the journey from Khartoum the country’s capital to Cairo.

The drivers of the buses paid to evacuate them complained that their fuel finished and that Federal Government has not remunerated them for the service.

Unfortunately, none of the Embassy officials are on the ground to explain to the stranded Nigerians, especially the students why the drivers have stopped the buses over their claim.

The Street Journal had reported how NIDCOM boss, Abike Dabiri had revealed that about 5000  Nigerians including students trapped by the ongoing conflict in Sudan would be rescued following the disbursement of money from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The evacuation took off on a slow start on Wednesday as only 15 out of the 40 buses paid for  were provided.

But some Nigerians fear that the three-day ceasefire declared by the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Force which expires Thursday (today) would not afford them the opportunity to depart Sudan.

“People are hungry and there is no concrete information from either the Embassy or the Committee in charge of the buses.

“People are sitting outside under high temperatures. The temperature is very high that people are thirsty. Nowhere to find water to drink or buy food to eat.

“In the next two to three days, if nothing is done to address this situation, Nigerian students might start dying,” the Chairman of the Nigerian in Sudan, Dr Hashim Na’Allah, stated.

In a viral video, a student was seen crying and saying, ”Because your family, children, and nephews are on the bus, that is why we are left behind. We are afraid. We do not have water, hunger, and food. These soldiers, their barracks are very close to us here, (International University of Africa). There have been gunshots since last night. No one is here for us.”

In another viral video, students were stranded  looking frustrated in a quiet and desert environment.

A female was seen yelling, “Before we started this journey, we fought and now that we have the privilege of moving, the drivers dropped us in the middle of this desert. We have been stuck here for five hours.

“We do not have money nor water. We are in an unknown environment and it is very dangerous.”