As the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies, Nigerians in Lebanon have differed with the Federal Government on the claim that about 500 of them have registered for evacuation.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, in a statement at the weekend, said no fewer than 500 Nigerians had registered with the Nigerian Embassy in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, for evacuation out of the country.

“Presently, about 500 Nigerians have registered with the mission; however, there are more than 2,000 Nigerian citizens residing in the country.

“Even though most of them have not indicated a willingness to return home despite the persuasion by our embassy, we will continue to do everything to ensure the safety of our citizens,” Abu-Obe stated.

But speaking exclusively with The PUNCH on Monday, the President of the Nigerian Community in Lebanon, Mr. Roland Aigbovbiosa, described the claim as “very untrue and incorrect.”

He said, “As the President of the Nigerian community here, I am confirming to you that this is not true. There are no 500 Nigerians registered for evacuation here.”

Aigbovbiosa noted that the 500 Nigerians the ministry was referring to were not those who had registered for evacuation, but those who had been officially profiled by the Nigerian Embassy in Lebanon for documentation only.

He said, “I think the misunderstanding came from something we have been doing. Before now, the Nigerian community and the embassy have been trying to register the Nigerians who are in Lebanon to know those who have legal documents among them and those who do not.

“This exercise has been going on for over two years. There are over 2,000 Nigerians here, but out of this, only a little above 500 of them have come out to register with the embassy just for profiling, and they have been doing that before the war and any other crisis. I think people are mistaking this 500 for the number of people who have registered for evacuation. But that is very untrue and incorrect.”

Due to the worsening state of the conflict, the Federal Government last Tuesday asked Nigerians in Lebanon to reach out to the Nigerian mission for documentation in a bid to leave the country.

In a message posted on his verified X handle @DOlusegun that Tuesday evening, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, said, “Alert! All Nigerians in Lebanon are expected to get in touch with the Nigerian mission for profiling, documentation, and subsequent evacuation.”

But Aigbovbiosa said only 30 Nigerians had registered for evacuation as of Monday afternoon, and there were strong indications that the number would increase in the coming days.

“I told you on Saturday that the people who have registered for evacuation out of the 2,000 Nigerians are just a little above 20. But as we speak, the number has increased to 30.

“I know this because I am one of those who is noting down the names of the people who are ready to go back to Nigeria. I spoke to the embassy this morning,” he stated.

“About four days ago, we documented fewer than 20 cases. However, as the situation worsens with bombings occurring everywhere, many Nigerians are feeling frightened and considering returning home. I believe this accounts for the current numbers. We are still watching and anticipating that more people will come forward to go back to Nigeria,” he added.

When contacted on Monday, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, said, “I spoke with the Chargé d’affaires and he confirmed to me that about 40 Nigerians in Lebanon have registered for evacuation.” (The PUNCH, but headline rejigged)

•A destroyed building is pictured in Hod HaSharon in the aftermath of an Iranian missile attack on Israel, on October 2, 2024. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)