Updated: 637 French, Germans leave Nigeria

Three hundred and ninety-nine French citizens and two hundred and thirty eight Germans were today evacuated from Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by their governments.

Air France’s A330 airplane which was the first to land departed at 13.56hr while Lufthansa German Airline departed with her nationals at 15.46hr.

Before their departure, the Germans underwent airport security formalities and screening for COVID-19  as they awaited the Lufthansa flight which landed few hours after for the evacuation under ‘emergency’ and ‘humanitarian’ flight operations.

Also on ground was Air France which airlifted many French nationals that are said to be stranded in the country.

A source from the Lagos airport told Woleshadarenews that the United States of America was planning same operations that would last till Friday.

Recall that the United States Mission in Nigeria had announced the commencement of evacuation of its citizens from Nigeria.

This came after Germany, Israel, and France evacuated their nationals following the rising cases of coronavirus disease in the country.

The Embassy, which confirmed the development on Monday night on its official Twitter handle, @US Mission Nigeria, said multiple emergency flights departing from Lagos and Abuja had been confirmed for this week.

However, Tuesday’s statement read: “In times of emergency, the first priority of the U.S. Department of State is the safety of American citizens overseas.

The evacuation of Americans slated for today had been postponed to tomorrow and Saturday.

Wole Shadare