Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja shared some news. They said that many Nigerians living in Lebanon, which is having trouble because of fighting, do not want to come back to Nigeria. This is even though the Nigerian government has plans to help them leave.
The news came out in an announcement the ministry posted on their X page on Saturday, October 5, 2024.
The announcement, called “EVACUATION OF NIGERIANS FROM LEBANON AMIDST THE ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT,” shows they are worried because many Nigerians do not want to leave Lebanon during the crisis.
Important Message
Earlier, Newslodge reported that the ministry confirmed the Nigerian government is getting ready to help Nigerians in Lebanon return home. This is because the situation in Lebanon is getting worse because of the fight between Israel and Hezbollah.
Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, who speaks for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared a message on October 5, 2024. She said about 500 Nigerians have told the Mission they are in Lebanon. But there are more than 2,000 Nigerians living there.
She mentioned that most Nigerians are saying “no” to coming back even though people in the Nigerian Embassy are trying to convince them to return.
“Even though most of them do not want to come home despite our Embassy’s efforts, we are still doing everything we can to keep our people safe,” she said.
“The Nigerian government tells everyone in Lebanon not to say ‘no’ to leaving. The fight might get bigger, and we ask everyone to work with us and follow safety rules,” she added.
She also said President Tinubu’s team is planning to send a big airplane, a C-130 or another plane, to bring people back. Nigeria thanks other countries for understanding and will keep an eye on what is happening.
She explained that Nigerians in southern Lebanon have already been moved to safer places like Beirut, working together with Nigerian leaders there.
Background Story
This message comes because there is a lot of worry about safety in Lebanon. The problem is getting worse because of the fight between Israel and Hezbollah. The conflict is old and about land and politics. Sometimes, the group called Hezbollah, which is in Lebanon, fights with Israeli soldiers. This can pull Lebanon into bigger problems in the Middle East.
Lately, the fighting has become more severe, with rockets and planes hitting places where people live. This makes people scared that a big war might start. Lebanon already has big money problems and political troubles. The fighting makes everything harder, especially for people from other countries like the many Nigerians in Lebanon. A lot of them are having a tough time because of Lebanon’s money problems.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has told all Nigerians in Lebanon to come home because of the fighting that is getting worse.