Fifty-six Nigerians stranded in Pakistan, have been evacuated from Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan to Abuja.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, who disclosed the development on his Twitter handle, @GeoffreyOnyeama, said the 56 Nigerians were evacuated alongside four Pakistanis.
Onyeama, in an earlier tweet, said the affected Nigerians and Pakistani nationals, departed Islamabad International Airport at about 4.05pm local time on Thursday.
The chartered aircraft operated by TARCO Aviation Company Limited, Onyeama also said, was expected to arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 3:00am Friday, June 19, 2020.
“Eventually, 56 Nigerians and four Pakistanis were safely evacuated from Islamabad to Abuja on a chartered aircraft operated by TARCO AVIATION Co. Ltd,” Onyeama said.
The minister also disclosed that an Emirates flight from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) conveying about 300 Nigerians, was also expected to land at about 3.55pm from Dubai.
Lagos alerts on heavy rainfalls, asks residents to relocate from flood zones
Lagos State government on Friday sympathized with residents of the state over the recent torrential rainfalls and the resultant dislocations. The state also warned that more of such downpours would come in the coming days. It asked residents in flood-prone areas to relocate to safety.
In a press statement by the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tunji Bello, he expressed his sympathy to those whose properties were damaged and those who were displaced by the flash flood.
He reiterated that residents should be conscious that whenever it rains and the high water level in the lagoon locks up the collectors thus preventing easy discharge into the lagoon, which ultimately leads to backflow of water into the streets.
According to him, “Anytime it rains for hours, and the lagoon water rises, this often prevent our channels from discharging effectively’’, he reiterated.
The Commissioner advised residents of the state in low- lying areas to always relocate from such areas when rainfall starts especially during the rainy season, saying this has become imperative to avert any loss of life and properties during such heavy downpours.
Bello stated that the pro-active and on-going cleaning and clearing of all drainage channels in the state also facilitated the ease with which the flash flood disappeared into the channels after the Thursday rainfall.
