Nigerians in Lebanon have differed with the Federal Government on the claim that about 500 of them have registered for evacuation.
Federal Government had requested on Tuesday that Nigerians residing in Lebanon contact the Nigerian mission for paperwork in an attempt to exit the country due to the escalating conflict.
Dada Olusegun, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, tweeted a message on his verified X handle, @DOlusegun, saying, “Alert! It is intended that all Nigerians residing in Lebanon will contact the Nigerian mission for paperwork, profiling, and eventual evacuation.”
In a statement over the weekend, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said no fewer than 500 Nigerians had registered with the Nigerian Embassy in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, for evacuation out of the country.
“Presently, about 500 Nigerians have registered with the mission; however, there are more than 2,000 Nigerian citizens residing in the country. Even though most of them have not indicated a willingness to return home despite the persuasion by our embassy, we will continue to do everything to ensure the safety of our citizens,” Abu-Obe stated.
However, the President of the Nigerian Community in Lebanon, Mr. Roland Aigbovbiosa, denounced the accusation as “very untrue and incorrect.” Speaking solely on Monday with The PUNCH,
“I am confirming to you that this is not true as the President of the Nigerian community here,” he stated. 500 Nigerians are not listed here as registered for evacuation.
Aigbovbiosa pointed out that the 500 Nigerians the ministry was referring to were those who had been formally profiled by the Nigerian Embassy in Lebanon for documentation purposes only, not those who had registered for evacuation.
He said, “I think the misunderstanding came from something we have been doing. Before now, the Nigerian community and the embassy have been trying to register the Nigerians who are in Lebanon to know those who have legal documents among them and those who do not.
