Parents of Nigerian students in Ukraine have protested at the Russian embassy in Abuja, calling for peace in the Slavic nations.
Monday’s protest was triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine where hundreds of people have fled the country since Vladimir Putin launched the attack on its neighbours.
The Nigerian government had in the wake of the invasion rolled out plans to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine, although many faulted their move for being belated.
In a statement on Sunday evening, the federal ministry of foreign affairs said 256 Nigerians have so far left Ukraine while assuring that arrangements are being put in place to effectively evacuate Nigerian citizens.
Earlier, the presidency had condemned reports of officials barring Nigerians from leaving the country to neighbouring nations. It described the development as “unfortunate”.
But Poland’s ambassador to Nigeria Joanna Tarnawska dismissed claims of unfair treatment stating that everybody receives equal treatment.
She added that Nigerians could stay for 15 days and also that invalid documents were being accepted to cross the border and Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.
Nigeria is not the only African country with evacuation plans for its citizens stranded in the conflict. A group of South Africans, mostly students, have been stuck at the Ukrainian-Polish border, the country’s foreign ministry spokesman, Clayson Monyela, said on Twitter.
The South African ambassador to Warsaw was at the site trying to get them through, according to Monyela who on Sunday had said Africans were being “treated badly” at the Polish-Ukraine border.
Ghana’s government said it would meet with parents of students stuck in Ukraine on Tuesday and sent embassy officials to border points to help.
Ivory Coast, which according to state media has 500 nationals in Ukraine, said it was also making arrangements for their evacuation.
Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry said 201 citizens were in the country, most of them students. It said last week all Kenyans were safe and accounted for but that some were stuck at the Polish border because of visa restrictions.
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