NEMA evacuates over 1277 Nigerians from Central African Republic

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Sunday said the number of  the fleeing Nigerians  so far evacuated from the conflict-stricken Central African Republic (CAR) under the federal government-sponsored humanitarian operation had reached 1,277.

The agency in a statement signed by its Information Officer, Sani Datti, said the effort to bring Nigerians, who were stranded back home to safety was still ongoing.

"The breakdown of evacuees indicated that the first batch comprised women, men  and children with a total number of 365, the second batch has the total number of 748  while the third batch has a total number of 164. The evacuation continues," it said.

The agency explained that the first batch of 365 evacuees arrived at the Nnamdi Arzikiwe International Airport, Abuja last Friday, while the others were evacuated subsequently on Saturday and yesterday.

Speaking at a brief ceremony at the airport to welcome  the returnees home, the Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammed Sani Sidi, said the federal government had  made available food and non-food items for their upkeep at the camp, while contacts were being  made with the governments of their various states of origin to convey them to their respective states.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/car-conflict-nigerian-evacuees-hit-1-277/168121/