By Aminat Umar
Three hundred and sixty four Nigerian evacuees from crisis-ridden Sudan, who landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja late Wednesday night, narrated their ordeals and prayed that Nigeria never experience war.
One of the evacuated Nigerian students, Halliru Bello, who spoke to Daily Trust, prayed that Nigeria never experience war as it could crumble the citizens and the nation at large.
He said as a medical student at the International University of Africa, Sudan, his academic programme had been put on hold because of the war that suddenly broke out in the country.
“It started at 11am when we started hearing gunshots and after three days, we started experiencing airstrikes and missiles.
“The next thing we were told was not to leave our homes. No access to the market to buy food and other things,” Bello said.
“Our experience was a very terrible one, we don’t pray for anyone ever to experience it. If you were not there, you won’t understand what we experienced.
“May Nigeria do all it takes never to experience war. Academic activities of students would be disrupted suddenly, with no access to food and basic amenities, no movement and you may die in the process when you’re hit by a bullet or missile,” he said.
According to him, missiles and airstrikes were suddenly hitting everywhere and the whole activities in Khartoum shut down.
Bello said after three days, the government of Sudan placed an order for other countries to evacuate their citizens, hence, it was at that point Nigerians in Sudan started making their way to the border between Sudan and Egypt.
He said although the experience was terrifying and frustrating, the Nigerian government made provision for their feeding.
Another student, Aisha Sumaila, who was a nursing student at the International University of Africa in Sudan, said they suffered at the border because the Egyptian officers did not allow them access to the country.
She said the intervention of the Nigerian government eventually made it possible for them to gain access to Egypt.
Meanwhile, a footballer and businessman, Steven Chidera Wihioka, said it was a 16-hour journey from Khartoum to Egypt and when they finally arrived at the border, the Egypt officials refused them access, hence they slept outside at the border for eight days because they had nowhere to sleep.
He said there were citizens from other countries who were all trying to leave Khartoum for Egypt.
He said his football career and business, the sale of female wigs, were ended by the war in Sudan.
He said other footballers as well, who signed to play for some clubs, had not accessed their money before the war broke out.
Another returnee, Mrs Amina Balarabe, who worked with the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan, decried her horrible experience, especially being stranded with six children.
She narrated that at the border, the Egypt government insisted that all requirements to gain access into their country be met before they would allow anyone to gain access to their country.
She said survival was difficult because most times, to access basic amenities such as a bathroom, food and water, one had to pay a lot of money, sometimes as much as $50 daily.
A 300-level Physiotherapy student, who simply gave her name as Zainab, said she had lost hope in their survival in Sudan.
She described their condition as terrible, saying they were not treated like humans at the Aswan border in Egypt.
She said: “When the war started, I didn’t know because we were sleeping, we just started hearing gunshots and rockets and we had to leave where we were for safety.
“We had to leave Khartoum for Egypt and it was totally hard for us. Some of us don’t have money and life there was very expensive. There were pregnant women and children who were sick.
“We didn’t think we would survive it because we slept in the car. All of our lives were in the car. Life there was totally hard and they treated us like we are not human beings at the Aswan border in Egypt where we spent six days.”
Another returnee, a student of the International University of Africa, Sudan, Barakat Akinola, narrated: “We just woke up in the morning and started hearing the sounds of bombs and everyone had to start fleeing. It was just like a dream honestly but we thank God we’re all safe.
“So, the sound of bullets woke us up that morning. I was really scared and till now I haven’t recovered from the shock because we all thought something was burning not until when the bullets started entering the rooms.
“It was on the 25th of Ramadan, which was the 15th of April. Ha! They really destroyed Sudan, like all the companies, airports and many more were burnt down.”
