A Nigerian woman, Onyeka, has appealed to the Nigerian Embassy and Consulate in Qatar to urgently intervene and evacuate stranded Nigerians, including elderly people and children, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Onyeka, who is stranded with her family, expressed frustration and helplessness on social media, stating that many Nigerians are facing visa restrictions and are unable to leave Qatar. “9 days stuck in Qatar with my family and other Nigerians who were on transit, countries have picked up their citizens from here, it’s mostly Nigerians that are left!” she wrote.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has provided contact channels for Nigerians abroad seeking assistance, but evacuating citizens is challenging due to security concerns and volatile airspace.
Abdurr-Rahman Balogun, NiDCOM’s Head of Media, explained that military activity has disrupted flight operations, making it difficult to evacuate Nigerians. “How would they evacuate anyone when the airspace is so close to conflict? It would be difficult to evacuate people by air,” he said.
