Following the degenerating security situation in Borno state as a result of the activities of Boko Haram, Lagos, Ekiti , Edo and Delta state governments yesterday commenced the evacuation of their indigenes from the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID).
No fewer than 14 of the 200 Lagos students from Lagos state arrived the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos aboard Arik Air. The 14 were the first batch of evacuees expected out of the state within the next two days.A total 43 indigenes of Ekiti who were evacuated from Borno arrived Ado-Ekiti, the state capital in the early hours of yesterday. The evacuees who are students of tertiary institutions in the troubled state arrived the Government House, Ado-Ekiti at about 3.30 am inthree buses.Arrival of the first batch of Lagosians schooling in University of Maiduguri, Borno State and Yola, Adamawa State at General Aviation Terminal (GAT) Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos yesterday.Also Delta State Government, yesterday evacuated 585 students from Delta State in Borno State as a proactive measure to save them from falling victim of the activities of the Boko Haram militia. The evacuated students were also studying at University of Maiduguri, Borno State.Edo State Government also evacuated 100 of its students af the Maiduguri University in Borno State and also helped to evacuate fifty students of Ondo State origin stranded in the state. Students were evacuated on Wednesday night, following the security challenge in the northern state.Addressing the students at Government House Asaba on Thursday, the State Commissioner, Bureau for Special Duties, Dr. Tony Nwaka reiterated the state government’s commitment to the welfare of Deltans irrespective of where they reside.He condemned in strong terms the activities of Boko Haram but thanked God for the safety of the students in the turbulent northern part of Nigeria and the hitch free journey to the State.He stated that Delta State was one of the first states in the country to evacuate its citizens from Maiduguri while commending Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan “for his magnanimity who in line with his care for the people also gave some money to the students to enable them travel back to their various destinations”.On his part, General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Oluwafemi Osanyintolu who led the delegation of the state to Maiduguri, Borno State Capital said that the exercise would be completed in two days.Osanyintolu assured that the state government was on top of the situation and would not hesitate to evacuate its indigenes in any troubled areas in the country, but said the contingent experienced some challenges in the process of evacuating the students. The exercise will be through by today.Parts of the challenges according to him were the poor weather condition, which prevented airlines from taking off as planned and the poor situation in the troubled state.He assured that the State Government would take care of the welfares of the stranded students in Maiduguri, adding that those evacuated would be handed over to their families in Lagos.Officials of the Government House were on hand to attend to the need of the evacuees.In Ekiti, the students were also given stipends to transport themselves to their respective homes. The president of Federation of Ekiti State Students Union (FESSU),University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) Chapter, Osetuyi Gabriel Sola who is a 600 Level student of Veterinary Medicine praised Fayemi for prompt response to their distress call saying it was God that saved from being killed in the Boko Haram crisis.-Vanguard
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