The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, says it is yet to receive any distress call from Nigerians residing in Iran, following ongoing hostilities between Iran and the United States and its ally, Israel.

 

 

 

 

 

In a chat with Vanguard, the Director of Media and Public Relations of NiDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said although there might be Nigerians in Iran, none had officially reached out to the commission for assistance.

 

 

 

“I’m not saying there are no Nigerians there, I’m only saying nobody has sent any distress call,” he clarified.

 

 

 

When asked to provide an estimate of Nigerians currently affected, Balogun said NiDCOM doesn’t have such data and advised that inquiries be directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

 

 

“We don’t have embassies there. The only person controlling embassies is the Minister of Foreign Affairs. They will be able to tell you” he said

 

 

 

 

On whether NiDCOM is collaborating with airlines or foreign authorities to ensure Nigerians are not left stranded, the spokesperson maintained that such collaboration is not feasible under the current circumstances.

 

 

 

“There is suspension of (flights) by all airlines. We cannot collaborate with anybody,” he said, noting that Nigeria currently has no national carrier operating international routes. Which Nigerian airline? We don’t have one now” he said

 

 

 

 

 

Balogun explained that Nigerians travelling to Iran typically do so as private individuals, often connecting through countries such as United Arab Emirates or Greece.

 

 

 

Speaking on the possibility of activating a full evacuation plan for Nigerians stranded in the Middle East, Balogun said certain conditions must be met before the Federal Government could intervene.

 

 

 

 

 

Balogun, who stressed that affected Nigerians must formally request assistance and be willing to return home, said

 

“You cannot force them; people went there voluntarily. In Sudan and Ukraine, some initially said they were not leaving. So people must seek for help and say, ‘our lives are in danger, can you evacuate us?”

 

 

 

He explained that once such a request was made and conditions permit, the Federal Government could arrange emergency measures, including chartering aircraft and setting up a rescue committee.

 

 

 

“They must be Nigerians and be ready to come back home” he stated

 

 

 

 

 

He affirmed that the protection of Nigerians abroad remains a core responsibility of the Federal Government, in line with its citizen diplomacy policy.

 

 

 

“If the life of any Nigerian is in danger and it reaches out to us, the Federal Government will look for a way out. Even if we don’t have an aircraft, we can lease or hire for that operation. As far as I know,

I’m not aware that anybody has sent a distress call,” he said