The Federal Government has commenced the evacuation of Nigerians residing in Iran, escorting those willing to leave the country to the border with Armenia amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
The evacuation exercise follows the crisis that erupted on February 28 after coordinated military strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel, which triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks across parts of the region.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed the development in a statement shared on her X account.
According to her, officials of the Embassy of Nigeria in Tehran are coordinating the movement of Nigerians who have indicated interest in leaving the country, ensuring their safe passage into Armenia.
She added that embassy officials remain stationed at the border to receive and assist evacuees as they cross out of Iran.
Dabiri-Erewa also reassured that no Nigerian citizen in Iran has been affected by the ongoing conflict so far.
She noted that while evacuation by air remains the preferred option, the airspace in the region is currently unsafe for flights due to the ongoing hostilities.
According to her, a flight from the United Arab Emirates had arrived in Lagos shortly before another round of strikes led to the closure of the airspace.
She explained that once the airspace is reopened, a multi-agency Federal Government team on crisis management and evacuation is on standby to begin repatriation flights for Nigerians stranded in the affected areas.
The development comes as growing tensions in the Middle East continue to raise concerns over the safety of foreign nationals living in countries affected by the conflict.
