The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, says the Federal Government will be spending $1.2 million to purchase 40 luxurious buses to be used for the evacuation of Nigerians trapped in Sudan.
Onyeama disclosed this while speaking to state house correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting.
Onyeama said the FG will evacuate citizens within days despite the 72-hour ceasefire agreement in Sudan.
The minister said the high cost of the evacuation was to provide security cover for the Nigerians’ journey to the Egyptian borders.
“The sum of $1.2 million is what we’re being charged for all the 40 buses. We have huge transporter luxury buses made available to us to transport to the Egyptian border,” Onyeama said.
READ MORE: Nigerians Stranded In Sudan To Be Evacuated By Road – Minister
“Of course you know, because of the risks involved and so many other things, a lot of people are going to also take advantage, you’re going to hike up the price. We saw that the French convoy was attacked and so forth. It was difficult procuring these buses. But we had to do it because you know, Nigerians’ lives matter to us.”
The ongoing crisis between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, has killed over 400 people and injured thousands since it began on April 15.
Several Nigerians were among international citizens stranded by the civil unrest.
The buses will take the Nigerians to the Egyptian border where they are expected to be airlifted to Nigeria.
