JUST IN: Buhari approves $8.5m to evacuate Nigerians from Ukraine

Earlier today, the Federal Executive Council in Abuja approved $8.5m (N3,535,150,000.00) to facilitate the immediate evacuation of 5,000 Nigerians from Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, TopNaija reports.

Zubairu Dada, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, shared this to State House Correspondents shortly after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Speaking alongside the Minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Farouk, Dada said the approval followed a joint memo presented by both ministries at the Council meeting.

Dada stated the Federal Government has contracted Air Peace and Max Air airlines to avail three aircraft to facilitate the evacuation, and that the evacuees include 940 from Romania, 150 from Slovakia and 350 from Poland who have registered to leave.

On the amount approved, Dada explained that “The ministry of humanitarian affairs wrote a memo to the president seeking funding to enable us to conduct this exercise. The memo was to the tune of $8.5m which Mr. President has graciously approved. That provision entails an arrangement to evacuate no less than 5,000 Nigerians.

“It also includes some assistance for the feeding that may have been done by the missions under whatever arrangements. Even the missions themselves are also in dire situations.”

Quizzed about when the funds will be released Dada said, “That is why the evacuation flights will begin today (Wednesday).”

TopNaija recalls that on 24 February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, one of its neighbours to the southwest, marking a major escalation to a conflict that began in 2014.

Meanwhile, English Premier League club Everton on Wednesday said they had “suspended with immediate effect” sponsorship agreements with several companies in which Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has a stake, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The club can confirm that it has suspended with immediate effect all commercial sponsorship arrangements with the Russian companies USM, Megafon and Yota,” said an Everton statement.

Uzbek-born Usmanov’s USM Holdings sponsors Everton’s training ground, with an initial five-year deal announced in 2017.

It also has an option on naming rights for the Toffees’ new stadium — a deal worth £30 million ($40 million) to the Merseyside club. The 68-year-old Usmanov, an associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, had already had his assets frozen by the European Union as part of sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Everton added they were “shocked and saddened by the appalling events unfolding in Ukraine,” as they called for a “tragic situation” to end as soon as possible.