News
Sudan: Gunshots everywhere, we managed to escape — Returnees
The returnees, who were first evacuated to Egypt, touched down at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja about 11.30p.m., and 11.54p.m., respectively and were received by aides of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Faruk, officials of the National Emergency Management Agency and Nigeria in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, among others.
Others were the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Nasir Gwarzo; Director General, National Emergency Management Agency, Ahmed Habib; and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
The evacuees had encountered numerous encumbrances following stringent formalities issued by the Egyptian authorities to enable their airlift back to Nigeria.
It was earlier reported that the Federal Government’s plan to evacuate Nigerians from Sudan was almost completely ruined when more Nigerians smuggled themselves onto the flights.
Our ordeals
Evacuees, who spoke to Vanguard at the airport, said they experienced sporadic gunfire and thought they would not see another day in Nigeria.
Among them is a 32-year-old woman, Zainab Haruna, who said she had lost hope of survival in Sudan, adding that she went incommunicado and without water for days.
“My experience in Sudan was horrible. Things were going fine, although we had rumours of a looming crisis but we didn’t take it seriously, only to wake up to gunshots and people running everywhere to save their lives,” she said.
Another returnee, Clement Mustapha, had arrived Sudan to study for a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Studies, a few weeks before the war started.
Mustapha said Sudan was like hell for him, adding that at some point, he had to say his last prayers and waited for the worst to happen.
I said my last prayers and waited for death
His words: “Sudan currently is not where your worst enemy should be. Have you seen war movies and how terrible they are? We just went through that. I am sure some people here may end up using drugs to stabilise their mind because it was draining and scary. We spent days walking to safety, hiding and explaining ourselves to gunmen, whose minds are in their guns. We begged for water. There was no electricity to charge our phones, because there was tension everywhere. We trekked under the sun and I heard that some of our ladies were molested.”
I didn’t know I’d ever return to Nigeria
Also speaking, Margaret Dauda, while expressing gratitude to the Federal Government for coming through for them, said they had given up hope of returning to Nigeria.
Her words: “Many other people from different countries are experiencing pain but I thank God for how Nigeria has come through for us because we literally saw the face of death in war. We saw a bullet. That’s something I have never seen or even heard before.
“We woke up on Saturday morning with heavy bombings and fire everywhere. It was that bad. I don’t know how to describe it, it is something that we have not seen before, we only saw it in the movies.”
We were sexualy harrased, broke, stole to survive — students
Recounting their ordeals, some students among the returnees said that some females were sexually harassed and were so broke to the extent of picking things from shops and running away.
A returnee female student told journalists on arrival that they faced humiliation and slept in the open.
“We spent all the money we had. We were so hungry and thirsty. They were harassing us sexualy. There was no food, no water to drink. It got to the point we picked things from shops and ran away,” she said.
Another female student told the BBC Hausa Service in an interview, that their legs were swollen due to long hours of stay in the buses.
We paid money to be allowed to urinate
A male student, who had a semester to finish his studies said the situation was so bad that they even had to pay money before they were allowed to urinate. He prayed that the war should end soon to enable him go back to Sudan and complete just a semester to round up his programme.
We paid to bathe, brush teeth
Miss Fathai Alliory said the Nigeria missions in Egypt and Sudan did not take care of them. “They didn’t give us food, they didn’t give us water, they didn’t give us anything, we had to pay to take our bath, you pay to brush your teeth, you pay to do anything you want to do and things were very expensive there.
Refusal of Nigeria missions to pay visa fees delayed our evacuation
“We got to know that one of the reasons that we were delayed for days was that the Nigerian Mission in Egypt was not ready to pay for our visa, so, the Egyptian government was waiting for us to pay for our visa and we learned that the Federal Government gave them money to make all the necessary arrangements for us to leave the country.”
Sharing his experience, Mr. Ibrahim Musa, a student, who lived on the outskirts of the capital, Khartoum, said he was devastated when he heard sounds of gunshots and grenades.
“At the time I started hearing the sound of gunshots, the first thing that came to my mind was to escape and I thank God this is where I am,” Musa said.
I feared my children may not survive
A father, Ibrahim Sardius, who was on standby to receive his children, said: “I feared my children may not survive the war in Sudan because the videos I saw and things I heard were horrible. I stayed days praying and was following the government closely to know what to do. At some point, I lost contact with my children but with faith I came here today to see that they are here. I am really grateful.”
FG gives each returnee N100,000 cash gift
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Farouq, while addressing the returnees said that there was N100,000 cash gift that would transport them back to their families, which she noted was supported by the Dangote Foundation.
Farouq explained that the task had been hectic for the Federal Government but that they would not fail to ensure the safe return of every Nigerian.
“A very good morning to all of us. It has been a very hectic period for us for the past two and a half weeks. We have been on this since the crisis in Sudan erupted. It has been a very tough moment for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Today, we are very happy to receive them. They have gone through a very traumatising period but we give thanks to Almighty Allah that all of them are back safely. No life was lost, which is the most important thing. All the efforts put in place were not in vain.
“Today, we have received the first batch of the evacuees. The C-130 aircraft of NAF brought about 94 of them while the Air Peace, which I commend and appreciate the Chairman/CEO (Chief Allen Onyema) for the support and bringing back our nationals. They brought back about 282 Nigerians.
“They will be in the hall and they will go through a process of profiling and after which they will go through the immigration and they will be given their dignity packs for them to get back to their respective destinations. Some of them, their family members are here to receive them while others would be under our care until they get to their families.
“There is N100,000 that would transport them back to their families, which is supported by the Dangote Foundation as transportation fare and as well as dignity kits and also N25,000 recharge cards from MTN and 1.5 gb data courtesy of MTN.
“All efforts have been put in place and everyone has contributed in ensuring that at least Nigerians have some comfort when they return home.
“We are here with the Ambassador to Sudan, who has been very supportive throughout this period. He is here to receive them and I want to use this opportunity to pray to Allah that the situation in Sudan gets to an end and we pray for peace in Sudan.
“War is not a good thing. People went to study and they became refugees all of a sudden. It is an international crisis and also a humanitarian crisis as people had no food, water and where to go. Nigerians should pray for peace and also not to experience this kind of situation.”
She expressed her gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, MTN, Chief Executive Officer, Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema and Aliko Dangote for being important instruments in ensuring Nigerians are brought back home safe.
How they returned
The Air Peace flight arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja about 11:35pm on Wednesday.
The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, plane C-130 Hercules aircraft conveying another set of 94 Nigerians from Aswan, Egypt landed at 2254 UTC (11.54p.m local time).
Director of Public Relations & Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ayodele Famuyiwa made this known in a statement, yesterday.
He disclosed that NAF’s effort was in furtherance of its constitutional role of aid to civil authority, and in line with the commitment by the Federal Government to rescue and successfully return Nigerians living in Sudan back home.
“The airlift operation is most heart warming as it coincides with the NAF’s 59th anniversary celebration holding in Enugu from 4-7 May 2023,” he said.
Recall that hostilities broke out on April 15, 2023, between Sudan Armed Forces and the Paramilitary RSF after an attempt to integrate both parties broke down.
The humanitarian assistance by the Nigerian Air Force and other well-meaning Nigerians has, however, ended days of anxiety with regards to the safety of Nigerian citizens in the troubled country and raised hope for those yet to be airlifted.
The death toll since the fighting between the rival factions erupted has been reported to be above 500 people including foreigners caught up in the capital, Khartoum.
The Anambra state police command has arrested a suspect for allegedly impersonating, False Representation of Mr Linus Williams “BLord” and defrauding members of the public.
According to the charges of false representation using the name of Blood to defraud the public the 22 year old young man Hillary Tochukwu Enujekwu from Okpanam in Delta state is accused of committing the crime punishable under Section 386 of the Criminal Code , Cap 36 , Vol 2 Revised Law of Anambra state of Nigeria 1991.
However the Magistrate Court did not sit on this Friday and the accused was returned to the State Criminal Investigation Department Amawbia.
Speaking to reporters Mr Linus William aka Blord confirmed that the accused had been using a fake TikTok handle claiming that he is Blord adding that he is not active on TikTok and is yet to verify his TikTok.
“I am at the Magistrate Court Amawbia in respect of a matter that was brought to the Court over a young man that has been using my videos and my pictures to defraud the public for the past three years”
“He has been n notorious on TikTok and he has about 11 million likes on TikTok and about 870,000 or there about followers on TikTok”
“Meanwhile my original TikTok has about 150,000 followers with 1,5million likes but this young man has about 11.6 million and that is ten times of my profile and people take his profile as the real Blord profile and they have been transacting with him and defrauded more than 100 people millions of naira and dollars ”
“Many of them came to the station to write their statements and the young man has confessed and agreed to the crime and the family has been begging for us to know how to settle the matter”.
“We came to Court today but the Court did not sit and they are taking the boy back to Police custody State Criminal Investigation Department where he is being remanded”
William recalled that when the matter came up, he reported to the Police who took action and arrested boy and invited him over to come and see the suspect .
“We went through his phone and all the videos on his phone are my videos, the number that he has been using to defraud them and once you call that number his number will ring and he used it to defraud people running into millions, 1,000 dollars , 3,000 dollar’s 5 million at different scenario and people believe that I was the one that defrauded them”.
“When he defraud the victims he will tell them to come to the office and we have nine different branches of my office and when they come we tell them that it not Blord profile” he said.
William thanked the Police for a job well done addin that he is innocent of those allegations against him.
William further explained that his outfit is verifiable on Instagram adding that his TikTok is yet to be activated .
“The Blord is on Instagram and I have a verify Instagram and verified Facebook but am not on TikTok and I am working towards verifying myself on TikTok”
“For you to get a legitimate Blord, make sure that the profile is verified and and if you feel doubted, we have office in nine major Cities and one should be close to you and you can come to the office and do your transactions ” he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer SP Tochukwu Ikenga said that the matter is before the Court of law hence cannot comment on it .
News
2027: Mandate Group Endorses ex Abia Speaker Chinedum Orji for Ikwuano/Umuahia Fed Constituency Seat
The Ikuku 2027 Mandate Group has endorsed former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, as its preferred candidate to represent Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in 2027.
In a statement titled, “Representation with Experience, Legislation with Results: The Ikwuano/Umuahia Compact for 2027,” the group said its position followed what it described as a careful assessment of aspirants seeking to represent the constituency.
According to the group, Orji stood out on the basis of his experience, capacity, character and record of public service, having previously served as Leader and Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly.
The group said its support for the former Speaker was based on what it described as a desire to take tested legislative experience to the National Assembly.
“We are presenting Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji to represent our Federal Constituency in 2027. This is not a campaign of noise. It is a campaign of structure, law, and delivery,” the group stated.
It said Orji’s experience in presiding over legislative debates, passing budgets and exercising oversight over the executive would equip him to effectively represent the constituency in Abuja.
The group outlined security, economic relief, youth employment, education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and transparency as key areas of its proposed legislative agenda for the constituency.
On security, it said Orji would support legislation aimed at strengthening community policing, local security architecture and federal intervention against kidnapping and violent crime across Ikwuano, Umuahia North and Umuahia South.
The group also said he would focus on legislation and oversight aimed at reducing the cost of doing business, improving access to credit for small and medium-scale enterprises and protecting households through scrutiny of policies affecting fuel and electricity costs.
On youth development, the group said the proposed agenda would seek to connect young people in the constituency to federal employment, entrepreneurship and skills-development programmes, including initiatives of the National Directorate of Employment and the Bank of Industry.
It added that education and healthcare would also feature prominently, with plans to advocate increased intervention in schools, expand access to scholarships and bursaries, and pursue improvements in primary healthcare and federal health infrastructure across the three local government areas.
The Ikuku 2027 Mandate Group further said Orji would use legislative engagement, budgetary advocacy and oversight to pursue federal road, electrification and water projects in the constituency.
“A legislator does not build a road, but he fights for it in the budget and monitors it,” the group stated, adding that quarterly reports on approved projects and their implementation would form part of its proposed accountability framework.
On agriculture, the group said the agenda would focus on policies supporting agro-processing, storage facilities, access to agricultural grants and improved market access for farmers, particularly in Ikwuano.
It also promised an open and accessible representation model, including annual scorecards, town-hall meetings across the three LGAs and a public tracker for constituency interventions.
The group said women, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups would also feature in its inclusion agenda, alongside support for women-owned businesses and girls’ education.
It further argued that the constituency deserved stronger federal presence, including more intervention programmes, training centres, agencies and infrastructure projects.
According to the group, its 2027 campaign would be built around ward-level engagement, policy town halls and what it described as data-driven voter outreach.
“Sloganeering gets attention. Campaigning gets results. And with Chinedum, you get both,” it stated.
The group described the proposed agenda as a “compact” with the people of Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South, built around legislation, effective oversight, accessible representation and transparency.
“This is our contract with you: Legislation that protects. Oversight that delivers. Representation that is accessible. In 2027, vote for experience that has led, and leadership that will legislate,” the group stated.
It adopted the campaign message: “Ikwuano/Umuahia First. Experience That Works.”
The statement reads in full
REPRESENTATION WITH EXPERIENCE, LEGISLATION WITH RESULTS: The Ikwuano/Umuahia Compact for 2027″
BY IKUKU 2027 MANDATE GROUP
1. THE VERDICT AFTER SCRUTINY
After a careful examination and scrutiny of all those aspiring to represent Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, and after weighing verifiable empirical indices of service, capacity, and character, one name stands clearly above the rest: Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji. He stands out as the most suitable because he has distinguished himself as a man of independent mind, tested experience, natural charisma, loyal followership, and above all, a human heart that beats for the people. In a race where many talk, he has a record to show.
2. THE MANDATE
We are presenting Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji to represent our Federal Constituency in 2027. This is not a campaign of noise. It is a campaign of structure, law, and delivery. Having served as Leader and Speaker at the subnational level, he understands how to turn the voice of the people into laws that actually work.
3. WHY EXPERIENCE MATTERS
As former Leader and Speaker, Chinedum presided over debates, passed budgets, and held the executive to account. That is the experience we are taking to Abuja: the skill to draft bills, build consensus across party lines, and ensure our constituency is not just present, but influential in the National Assembly.
4. SECURITY OF LIVES AND PROPERTY
For us, the first duty is safety. Chinedum will sponsor and support legislation to strengthen community policing, support local security architecture, and increase federal intervention against kidnapping and violent crime across Ikwuano and the two Umuahia LGAs. A safe constituency is a productive constituency.
5. THE ECONOMY AND COST OF LIVING
Food, transport, and power costs are biting our people. His focus will be on laws that reduce the cost of doing business for our traders in Umuahia markets, support SMEs with access to credit, and protect households through oversight of fuel subsidy reforms and electricity tariff structures. We are legislating relief, not just talking about it.
6. JOBS, YOUTH AND SKILLS
Youth unemployment is not a slogan to Chinedum. It is a policy problem. He will push for a Federal Constituency Skills and Entrepreneurship Act to link our young people to NDE, BOI, and digital job programs. Internships, vocational centers, and startup support will be tracked quarterly and reported back to the people.
7. EDUCATION AS A FOUNDATION
From primary schools in Ikwuano to tertiary access in Umuahia, education must work. He will advocate for increased UBEC and TETFund releases to our schools, sponsor bills for STEM (Science , Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and vocational education, and establish a transparent constituency scholarship and bursary scheme tied to merit and need.
8. HEALTHCARE THAT REACHES YOU
Our PHCs must have drugs, staff, and power. Chinedum will use legislative oversight to ensure NHIA ( National Health Insurance Authority) enrollment drives reach our wards, push for constituency health bills, and lobby for federal health infrastructure upgrades in our three LGAs. No mother should die giving life.
9. POWER AND INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH LAW
A legislator does not build a road, but he fights for it in the budget and monitors it. Chinedum will lobby for the inclusion of key Ikwuano-Umuahia roads, rural electrification, and water projects in federal budgets, and he will publish quarterly reports on what was approved and what was delivered. Oversight is his promise.
10. AGRICULTURE AND MARKET ACCESS
Ikwuano’s farmland and Umuahia’s markets are economic engines. He will support legislation for agro-processing, storage facilities, and easier access to federal agricultural grants. We will connect farmers to markets and reduce post-harvest losses through policy, not promises.
11. GOOD GOVERNANCE AND TRANSPARENCY
Having been Speaker, Chinedum knows how budgets are padded and projects disappear. He will run an open office: annual scorecards, town halls in all three LGAs, and a public tracker for all constituency interventions. The people must see where the money goes.
12. WOMEN AND INCLUSION
Legislation must reflect everyone. He will champion bills that support women in business, protect girls’ education, and ensure 35% inclusion of women and PWDs in constituency appointments and programs. Representation without inclusion is incomplete.
13. FEDERAL PRESENCE FOR OUR CONSTITUENCY
We deserve more federal projects and institutions. Chinedum will use his legislative relationships to attract agencies, training centers, and intervention programs to Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South. Our size and capital city status must translate to federal advantage.
14. CAMPAIGNS, NOT JUST SLOGANS
Let’s be clear: electioneering is more than chants. This campaign will be built on ward-to-ward engagement, policy town halls, and data-driven voter outreach. Yes, we will have a message you can remember. But behind every slogan will be a bill number, a budget line, and a plan. Sloganeering gets attention. Campaigning gets results. And with Chinedum, you get both.
15. THE COMPACT
This is our contract with you: Legislation that protects. Oversight that delivers. Representation that is accessible. In 2027, vote for experience that has led, and leadership that will legislate.
“Ikwuano/Umuahia First. Experience That Works.”
Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, Member representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as “responsive leadership” following the Federal Government’s decision to accelerate implementation of the 2026 budget.
Speaking on Magic FM, Aba, on Thursday, Ikwechegh said the renewed push to release funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies demonstrated that the President listens to the legislature.
“Mr. President has shown he is a listening President who has the interest of the nation at heart. He did not see our concerns as opposition. He saw them as part of our job to ensure Nigerians get value for money,” the lawmaker stated.
Ikwechegh had earlier drawn national attention after raising a motion on the floor of the House over delays in budget releases despite appropriations passed by the National Assembly. The intervention sparked debate among lawmakers over the slow pace of capital project execution.
The Federal Government has since announced measures to fast-track releases under the 2026 Appropriation Act, which provides for an aggregate expenditure of ₦68.32 trillion, with ₦32.2 trillion earmarked for capital expenditure.
According to Ikwechegh, legislative oversight is most effective when it produces concrete results.
“Our job is to speak firmly when policies are not working, and to also acknowledge when government takes corrective action. That is how the executive and legislature serve the people together,” he said.
The Abia lawmaker stressed that the real test of the budget lies in delivery — completed roads, functional hospitals, jobs for youths, and improved services across constituencies.
He expressed optimism that with improved coordination between the National Assembly and the Presidency, Nigerians will increasingly begin to feel the impact of the 2026 budget as implementation gathers momentum.
Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan was the front-runner after last month’s first informal vote, in which the council’s 15 members, including the five with veto power, pass judgment in secret on the candidates.
Argentina’s Rafael Grossi — the current head of the UN nuclear watchdog — is also a candidate along with Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador’s Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Uganda’s Olara Otunnu and Senegal’s Macky Sall.
After the first round concluded, Ecuador’s Ivonne A-Baki threw her hat into the race to succeed Antonio Guterres, who will complete his second five-year term on December 31, 2026.
“While the first straw poll set the scene for the Secretary-General race, the second may give us some direction about where it is headed,” said the International Crisis Group’s Daniel Forti.
“Diplomats expect fluctuations in the vote distribution compared to the July poll. Most will be watching to see whether the early front-runners consolidate their support or slip in the standings.
“It is unlikely that any candidate will emerge from (Friday’s) poll with a decisive lead.”
Forti said the veto-wielding nations — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — might wait until later to express their preferences, while new contenders could emerge.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said Thursday he could not rule out that possibility.
“If, for example — I’m speculating now — if there is a deadlock on any of the candidates we are seeing today, if nobody… flies, then I think that we may see other candidates as well,” Nebenzia said.
Even if a candidate earns the required nine votes from the 15 available in the Security Council, they must also avoid a veto by the five major powers, which are deeply divided.
Once a candidate clears those bars, their name will go to the General Assembly of all UN members for confirmation.
The Security Council straw poll was devised in the early 1980s in an attempt to break a deadlock between two candidates shut down by vetoes.
The informal mechanism has persisted, in various forms, despite criticism from countries opposed to the opaque process.
“There is a good chance that some nominees realise after (Friday’s) vote that their campaigns have reached the end of the road,” Forti added.
Each member state must anonymously assign each candidate one of three labels: “encourage,” “discourage,” or “no opinion.”
That would give those with no support the opportunity to withdraw — though they are not obliged.
In the first rounds of the process expected to take several weeks, all ballots are the same colour.
But after an unspecified number of votes, the ballots of the five permanent members will become a different colour from those of the elected members, making it possible to identify potential vetoes, without knowing which country blackballed any given candidate.
It is tradition that the UN’s top job should rotate between different regions.
Under that premise, the role should go to a candidate from Latin America this time. There are many candidates from the region, though Sall and Otunnu hail from Africa.
The civilian-contracted plane crashed at the airport of the long-range radar site in Cape Newenham, on the state’s southwestern tip, the Alaskan Command said in a statement.
Rescuers who landed near the crash site “confirmed there were no survivors,” it said.
The statement did not say what those onboard were doing at the radar site, which tracks aircraft operating in Alaskan airspace.
“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” said Alaskan Command chief Robert Davis.
“These individuals were dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment,” Lieutenant General Davis added.
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