The United States Embassy in Nigeria, on Monday night, said it planned to get 1000 Americans out of Lagos, this week.
Rising to meet the historic challenge posed by the Coronavirus pandemic, a repatriation flight carrying 376 US citizens reportedly departed Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for Washington’s Dulles International Airport, on Monday night.
The chartered flight operated by Ethiopian Airlines departed at about 17:25 local time and was the first in a series of repatriation flights for American citizens out of Lagos.
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Additional flights are expected to depart Lagos within the next few days, the Embassy said in a statement, saying “priority is given to the elderly, individuals with serious health issues, unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, and physically challenged citizens.”
Before boarding, local health authorities conducted temperature checks on all of the passengers. One of the evacuees, Mr. Gabriel Idigo, expressed gratitude to the US government for rendering assistance to citizens stranded in Nigeria.
“I have been here (Nigeria) for a while. I was stuck in the hotel for about two weeks. All my money had been depleted. I thank the US government for coming to our aid.
“I am glad to be going home. From Washington Dulles International Airport, I hope to fly to Los Angeles where I live,” he said as quoted in the statement.
As of April 5, 2020, the US Department of State has coordinated the repatriation of 43,116 Americans from 78 countries. United States Consul General, Claire Pierangelo, noted that the repatriation flights represent a major effort by the US Consulate General Lagos, with excellent cooperation from the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Lagos State Government, Nigeria Immigration Service and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
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“In times of emergency, the first priority of the Department of State is the safety of American citizens overseas.
“For that reason, throughout the world, we are working to ensure that Americans who want to return home are able to get home. We hope to get about 1, 000 Americans out of Lagos this week alone,” Consul General Pierangelo said.
Consul General Pierangelo has urged all Americans who remain in Nigeria to abide by the rules and procedures the Nigerian government has put in place including social distancing and frequent handwashing in order to keep everyone healthy and safe.
