Nigeria government to evacuate over 700 citizens from the U.S

Consulate-General of Nigeria in New York has said that evacuation of Nigerians stranded in the U.S. due to the novel coronavirus pandemic is to begin on May 10, according to a news report by 'GhanaWeb'.

Consulate-General has disclosed this in a notice signed by the Consul-General, Benaoyagha Okoyen, on behalf of the Nigerian missions in the U.S, on Sunday.

According to the notice approx. 700 Nigerians have registered with the missions in the U.S. for evacuation, which will be done in batches.

The notice stated that the first batch of 270 evacuees would be transported to Abuja through an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 509.

The plane is expected to depart the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and fly directly to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The Nigerian government has earlier announced that the flight is at the expense of the evacuees, who will all fly economy class, according to the notice.

"Missions will, therefore, attend to applicants on a first-come, first-served basis and shall prioritize the list of evacuees according to their immigration status. This includes the need to consider those stranded with proof of short-stay visas, the elderly, families with children, and returning students," it said.

To curb the spread of coronavirus, the Nigerian government on March 18 has imposed restrictions on travels from 13 countries with high burdens.

The countries are China, Iran, South Korea, Germany, Italy, the U.S. United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Spain, France, Japan, Australia, and Sweden.