Another set of 183 Nigerian evacuees from Ukraine arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja on Friday evening aboard a Nigerian carrier, Air Peace Airline.
According to local media reports, the latest evacuees comprise 180 adults and three children.
The evacuation exercise follows the attack by Russia on Ukraine, which has left scores of people killed and many displaced.
The reports added that more than 5,000 Nigerians, majority of whom are students studying in Ukraine have been caught up in the conflict. And many of them have reportedly fled to neighbouring countries to Ukraine including Hungary, Poland and Romania.
The first set of Nigerian evacuees, numbering 416 arrived in Abuja on Friday morning from Romania, aboard Max Air.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to continue to defend the interest of Nigerians wherever they may be.
A statement by presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said that President Buhari stated on Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya at a Townhall Meeting with Nigerians in that country that “as a government, we shall continue to defend the interests of all Nigerians wherever they may be”.
“On our part as a Government, we shall continue to defend the interests of all Nigerians wherever they may be. We have demonstrated this over time, as we have had cause to evacuate our citizens in harm’s way abroad,” the statement quoted the Nigerian President as saying.
“We did it in Libya, South Africa and we have just commenced doing the same in Ukraine, where thousands of our citizens, especially students, are trapped by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine,” it added.
The Nigerian leader had last week approved $8.5 million for the evacuation of Nigerians from Ukraine.
GIK/APA