Despite $1.2Million Approved, Nigerian Students Stranded In Sahara Desert As Bus Drivers Refuse To Move Until They’re Paid
The buses sent to evacuate thousands of stranded Nigerian students and other nationals from warring Sudan were stopped in the middle of the Sahara desert by the drivers, who claimed that the Nigerian government and other relevant stakeholders had not paid them.
This is seen in a video posted on Thursday afternoon by Twitter user Dr Ahmad Small on his verified handle, in which the students are seen venting their frustrations after being held in the desert for over four hours by the drivers with no help in sight.
“The Buses evacuating Nigerian students and non-student were stopped in the middle of the Sahara, and the drivers refused to continue the journey because they were not PAID. @abikedabiri @nemanigeria @FMHDSD @nidcom_gov @NigeriaMFA,” Dr Ahmad captioned the video.
A female student is heard in the video complaining that the drivers insisted that they would not leave the desert unless they were paid.
She said, “Before we started this journey, we had to go on several fightings. Can you even imagine, we are stuck in this desert for five hours. We don’t even know the situation we are. Our money has finished.
“Can you even imagine? The vehicle drivers said they are not moving their buses if they don’t give them money.”
This comes a day after the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama said the Nigerian government would be spending $1.2 million to hire 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 on Wednesday. Onyeama said the Nigerian government will evacuate citizens within days despite the 72-hour ceasefire agreement in Sudan.
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) April 27, 2023
