300 More Stranded Nigerians Return From USA

Three hundred more Nigerians who had been stranded in the United States have arrived in Abuja.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), announced this on Saturday via Twitter.

The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 15:00pm via the Ethiopian Airlines.

According to NIDCOM, the evacuation is the fifth from the US since the Federal Government started flying Nigerians who were stranded as a result of the COVID-19 back home.

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All the evacuees tested Negative to COVID-19 before boarding the flight but will also observe the mandatory 4-day self-isolation as mandated by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

So far, a total of 1,430 Nigerians have been flown back home.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government says it has spent over N169million in transporting Nigerian returnees from overseas.

The National Coordinator, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, said N22billion was released for the effective handling of COVID-19 response in the country.

“At the moment, as far as I know, only N169million was spent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the evacuation of Nigerians, mainly on their accommodation.

“We haven’t spent much because of the need for prudence in the first place. We need to have clear evidence. A lot of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government are yet to do their quick procurement,” he said during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.