Air Peace airline has deployed its aircraft to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Europe amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, many residents, including Nigerians, have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries.
In a statement on Thursday, Air Peace spokesman, Stanley Olisa, said the airline left Nigeria in the early hours of the day.
“This is the first batch of Nigerians to be evacuated since the war broke out. The aircraft departed Nigeria at 2.20 a.m. today, March 3, 2022, for Warsaw, Poland,” he said.
The Nigerian government had earlier said its diplomatic mission received Nigerians in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania.
On Wednesday, Gabriel Aduda, permanent secretary, ministry of foreign affairs, in a statement, said a total of 2,090 Nigerians from Ukraine had been received by embassies in Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
The Nigerian government had earlier engaged Air Peace and another airline to evacuate the affected Nigerians as the ongoing face-off deepens between Russia and Ukraine.
Aduda had said: “So far, we have the following records of evacuees received by Nigerian embassies at Hungary (650 persons), Poland (350 persons), Romania (940 persons) and Slovakia (150 persons).
“The capacity and route of the airlines are as follows: Max Air to Romania, 560 persons; Air Peace to Poland, 364 persons; and Air Peace to Hungary, 360 persons.”
