UK To Evacuate British Nationals As Cases In Nigeria Hit 373

The United Kingdom is set to evacute British nationals from Nigeria on Saturday, following the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country.

More than 2,000 foreign nationals from the US, Canada, Germany, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, South Africa, and France have been evacuated from Nigeria by their countries due to the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The British High Commission in a statement on its Twitter account noted that the Britons would be evacuated from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The UK Mission further stated that to be eligible for all flights, the primary residence has to be in the UK.

It added that evacuees are expected to pay for their seats and priority will be placed on those who have an underlying medical condition, which places them at greater risk of serious illness if they contract COVID-19.

The UK Mission also noted that people who have exceeded their authorised visa expiry date as a result of travel restrictions linked to COVID-19 would not be penalised.

The statement read in part: “There are currently no commercial options available to return to the UK from Nigeria. All airports in Nigeria are closed to all international commercial flights until 23 April.”

“We know this concerning British people trying to leave Nigeria. The UK government has been working closely with airlines and has now secured agreement for charter flights to start from Nigeria to the UK, from both Abuja and Lagos.”

“The Nigerian authorities have told us that people who exceed their authorised visa stays as a result of travel restrictions linked to COVID-19 will not be penalised as over-stayers when they depart.”

“The evacuation process would continue till Monday, adding that more flights might follow if the already scheduled flight did not airlift all those intended to leave Nigeria.”

“If you’re a short-term British traveller and believe you are in the vulnerable category you should express your interest in returning to the UK by emailing [email protected] as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you.”

Currently, Nigeria has 373 cases of coronavirus; many of the cases are in Lagos and Abuja.