Ukraine: I’m personally coordinating activities to bring back Nigerians ready to return – By Geoffrey Onyeama, Foreign Affairs Minister
I spoke on the phone with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba. Expressed sympathy for the needless loss of life and destruction and reiterated Nigeria’s recognition of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
I also expressed concern at the news of Ukrainian border guards hindering the exit of Nigerian citizens. He asserted that Ukrainian border guards have been instructed to allow all foreigners to leave. He promised to investigate and revert quickly.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reverted to state: “It’s official: no restrictions for foreign nationals to leave the country exist. Problem is the result of chaos on the border and check points leading to them”.
I am personally coordinating with our missions in Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Romania and Hungary to ensure we get our citizens out of Ukraine and bring back to Nigeria those ready to return, while supporting those who are remaining in Ukraine.
- Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, tweeted this on Sunday morning in reaction to multiple reports that Nigerians planning to cross Ukrainian border to Poland, over the ongoing crisis in the country, were denied access by Ukrainian border guards.
