The first batch of Nigerians stranded in the United States, due to global international airports’ shutdown following the coronavirus pandemic has arrived in Abuja.

One hundred and sixty (160) Nigerians, including eight children, were the first batch of evacuees.

Their flight touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, around 11.05 am on Sunday, May 10th, 2020.

Under the special flight arrangements by the Federal Government for citizens stranded abroad, the evacuees returned home aboard an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 aircraft.

ET Flight 8509 conveying 160 Nigerian evacuees from the US has safely arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said while confirming the evcuees’ arrival.

The flight departed the Newark International Airport, New Jersey, on Saturday, May 9th, 2020 at 8:20 p.m. local time (1:20 a.m. in Nigeria on Sunday, May 10th, 2020).

Onyeama added that on arrival, all the evacuees would be quarantined in an isolation facility for fourteen (14) days in Abuja, before departing for their respective destinations in the country.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.