Minister explains why chartered plane evacuating Nigerians from Dubai was turned back mid-air

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, at the media briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja on Wednesday,  acknowledged that a chartered airport bringing Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was forced to U-turn when a pregnant woman was noticed to have gone into labour. The Minister noted that the women and child are in good condition. He reiterated that the flight was to arrive Nigeria at 3.00pm, adding that the flight will bring back the Nigerian returnees from Dubai later at 7.00pm same Wednesday. Invariably, the returnees were brought back in the same Emirate aircraft at 7.00pm.

Onyema further said that the Lagos State Government volunteered to provide hotels for the accommodation of the returnees who will be quarantine for 14 days before they will be allowed to go to their homes.

The Foreign Minister also said that the ministry is having negotiations  with British Airways to convey 300 Nigerians from London on Friday; in addition to other arrangements with Ethiopian Airlines to another batch of Nigerian returnees  from New York, (US) to Abuja next Monday.

The Minister said that the British Airways is giving hard conditions, demanding that the Nigerian government must first pay the fares before the returnees are flown back to the country.

Geoffrey Onyeama had on Monday revealed that over 4,000 Nigerians are waiting to be evacuated back home across the world.

The Minister on Wednesday also said that the federal government does not have the resources to provide palliatives for Nigerians in diaspora, while responding to the issues of the plights of Nigerians in South Africa.