Evacuations of Nigerians stranded in the United States due to the novel coronavirus pandemic will begin on May 10th, said the consulate of Nigeria in New York. It is assumed almost 700 Nigerians had registered with the missions in the US for evacuation, which would be done in batches. The Consul-General, Mr. Benaoyagha Okoyen, disclosed this in a notice on Sunday. Over 2,000 Nigerians in China, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and others had also indicated interest in returning home on account of the coronavirus pandemic.
The consulate said the first batch of 270 evacuees would be transported to Abuja through Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 509. The plane is expected to depart the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey at 9:15p.m., and fly directly to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
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It was declared the federal government he returning citizens are said to have to pay for their flights and to undergo forced quarantine on arrival in Nigeria. The notice stated, “The projected cost for the one-way economy ticket is between 1,300 dollars and 1,700 dollars per adult.
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