The Federal Government has said that only 500 out of over 2,000 Nigerians living in Lebanon have registered with the Nigerian Embassy in Beirut for evacuation following the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on October 5 said despite the embassy’s efforts to encourage them to return home, many Nigerians remain hesitant to leave.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Presidency, National Emergency Management Agency, Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and other relevant bodies, is coordinating the evacuation exercise to ensure the safe return of Nigerians from Lebanon.
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.”
