Russia-Ukraine War: 306 Nigerians Return Home From Hungary

No fewer than three hundred and six Nigerians returned home from Hungary on Sunday morning.

This is as a result of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Naija News reports.

They are reported to be the fourth batch of citizens fleeing the warring zones after Russian army invasion of Ukraine.

The Nigerians had taken refuge in Hungary when the war started, they however arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Naija News understands that the returnees arrived via Air Peace Airline at 12:35 a.m today.

Receiving the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government, Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Ahmed, said that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved that $100 be given to each of them.

Ahmed, represented by Director, Search and Rescue, NEMA, Air Commodore Edward Adedokun, added that the money was meant to assist them with their transportation to their various locations.

According to Adedokun, a one-night accommodation arrangement had been made for the returnees to rest before continuing their journey to their homes, while those whose relatives had come for them were free to go home.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government, in its conscription laws preventing men from leaving the country amid the Russian invasion, has also denied transgender women exit out of the country noting that they are still technically men, Naija News reports

One of the trans women, Zi Faámelu, who was asked to take arms and fight, expressed her displeasure over the development while revealing that she is planning to escape to Poland illegally as other trans women have done, according to a report by Los Angeles Times.

“Already we were fighting for our lives,” she said. “And now we’re actually in w@r.” Faámelu is anxious to leave now. She knows that under Russian occupation, life could deteriorate quickly for LGBTQ people like her. Vice News reports that trans people in Ukraine are “totally stuck” and “scared for their lives” in the country.

Two other Ukrainian trans women who spoke to VICE said they can’t leave Ukraine or even safely travel through it because all of their identification documents say “male” and mention their “old masculine names”.