The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, has announced the suspension of the evacuation of stranded Nigerians overseas.
It will be recalled that in April, the Federal government announced plans to evacuate Nigerians who are stranded abroad due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Part of the criteria for their return is for them to foot the cost of their return ticket and that they must be placed on a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon their arrival in the country.
At the daily briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID19, the Minister said the suspension of the evacuation is to make way for new measures that would require citizens returning from overseas to get tested and self-isolate at home rather than in selected hotels.
Nigeria has evacuated 989 stranded citizens with 265 from United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom (253); United States (160); Saudi Arabia (292) and Lebanon (57)