The Federal Government of Nigeria Sunday asked Ukraine and Poland to treat Nigerians and other Africans stranded in Ukraine with dignity and without favour.
A presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement, said while efforts to begin talks between Russia and Ukraine were underway, “paramount on our minds is the safety and human rights of some four thousand Nigerian citizens and many others from friendly African nations today stranded in Ukraine.
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“There is a long history dating back to decades of Nigerians and other Africans studying in Ukraine, particularly medicine. The majority of Nigerian citizens in the country today are university-enrolled students.”
Shehu said from video evidence, first-hand reports and from those in contact with their wards and/or Nigerian consular officials, there had been unfortunate reports of Ukrainian police and security personnel refusing to allow Nigerians to board buses and trains heading towards the Ukraine-Poland border.
He said in a video widely circulating on social media, a Nigerian mother with her young baby was filmed being physically forced to give up her seat to another person.
He said there were also separate reports of Polish officials simply refusing Nigerian citizens’ entry into Poland from Ukraine.
Shehu stated: “One group of Nigerian students having been repeatedly refused entry into Poland have concluded they have no choice but to travel again across Ukraine and attempt to exit the country via the border with Hungary.
“We understand the pain and fear that is confronting all people who find themselves in this terrifying place.
“We also appreciate that those in official positions in security and border management will in most cases be experiencing impossible expectations in a situation they never expected.
“But for that reason, it is paramount that everyone is treated with dignity and without favour.
“All who flee a conflict situation have the same right to safe passage under UN Convention and the colour of their passport or their skin should make no difference.
“As a nation, we are proud of those educated in Kyiv and Kharkiv and other cities and centres of learning who have returned to Nigeria to perform great service for our nation and our people.
“Without the generosity of spirit of the Ukrainian people that would never have been possible.
“We pray for those directly affected by this conflict. Nigeria, with our 200 million people, support all and every diplomatic effort to bring this war to an end.”
Earlier in a statement yesterday, Permanent Secretary, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gabriel Adudar, said free visa arrangements were in place for Nigerians arriving from Ukraine through the borders in Romania and Hungary.
He said due to the challenges faced by Nigerians crossing into countries bordering Ukraine, especially the Polish border, the Federal Government had arranged accommodation and feeding pending evacuation.
The statement read: “The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs has spoken with his counterpart, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine on this unsavoury development and both are working on alleviating the suffering of Nigerians, including deploying the International Organisation for Migration to the border to ensure easier access to all Nigerians and other nationals.
“For now, movement to the Hungarian Zahony border and Romanian Suceava, Tulcea, Satu Mare County & Maramures borders is advised as they have approved visa-free access to all Nigerians coming from Ukraine and arrangements for accommodation and feeding before evacuation is arranged.
“Parents, guardians, and wards of Nigerians in Ukraine are please enjoined to remain calm as the Federal Government of Nigeria is working very hard to get them all home safely.
“Similarly, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Budapest, Hungary in a Public Travel Advisory said, it wishes to inform Nigerian nationals arriving from Ukraine, that the Government of Hungary has enacted Decree 56/2022 (24.11), which permits third-country nationals with valid Ukrainian resident permits to enter Hungary on a temporary basis, without a Schengen visa.
“As such, Nigerians arriving at the Hungary-Ukraine border can enter Hungary, either on transit to Nigeria, or to temporarily reside in the country.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, yesterday also expressed concern over the news of Ukrainian border guards hindering the exit of Nigerian citizens.
Onyeama said he spoke about this in a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba.
He said Kuleba asserted that Ukrainian border guards had been instructed to allow all foreigners to leave.
He quoted Kuleba as promising to investigate the incident and revert quickly.
Meanwhile, fighting continues across Ukraine as Russian soldiers are said to have made incursion.
Ukraine has reportedly agreed to hold talks with Russia on the Belarus border on Sunday shortly after Russian President Valdimir Putin ordered his defence chiefs to put the country’s nuclear “deterrence forces” on high alert and accused the West of taking “unfriendly” steps against his country.
The European Union yesterday announced harsh new sanctions against Russia, closing its airspace to Russian aircrafts and banning the broadcast of Russian state media outlets in the bloc.
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