The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said Nigerians in a video that went viral who said to have been forced into the desert by the United Arab Authorities could come back home from August 29 due to the commencement of international air travel would.
The video showed stranded people standing in an outside a city believed to be Dubai.
Mr Ferdinand Nwonye, the spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the evacuation of any Nigerian had been carried out by the Nigerian mission in UAE, adding that the people shown in the video could come back to Nigerian on their own.
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He said, “Our mission in UAE has been carrying out evacuation of stranded Nigerians and those who were serious have been brought back.
“For those in the video, they can hang on till August 29 when international air travel will commence and they would be free to come back on their own.”
Also talking on the video, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, mentioned the protesters who were mostly irregular migrants were asked to leave the UAE on March 1, but the deadline was later extended to August 17.
She explained that the authorities provided free evacuation flights which the individuals snubbed.
Dabiri-Erewa said, “179 came back on Saturday free of charge, but some are still bent on hiding and breaking the laws. You shouldn’t stay illegally anywhere.”
