The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has said it has not received any distress call from Nigerians residing in Iran amid the ongoing hostilities between Iran and the United States.
Director of Media and Public Relations of NiDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, disclosed this in a telephone interview with Vanguard while responding to concerns over reports that Nigerians may be stranded following the sudden suspension of international flights into and out of Iran.
Balogun said although there may be Nigerians in Iran, none has officially reached out to the commission for assistance.
“I’m not saying there are no Nigerians there, I’m only saying nobody has sent any distress call.”he clarified.
He explained that the flight cancellations were due to ongoing hostilities, stressing that no airline would operate in an active war zone.
“You cannot fly where bombs are going up and down. No airline will fly,” he said, adding that the situation affects all nationals, not just Nigerians.
According to him, the suspension of flights makes any immediate evacuation impossible, except if a ceasefire is declared to allow stranded persons to leave.
“They may ceasefire for two or three days to allow people who are stranded at the airport to be evacuated. That has not been done,” he noted.
When asked to provide an estimate of Nigerians currently affected, Balogun said NiDCOM does not have such data and advised that inquiries be directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We don’t have embassies there. The only person controlling embassies is the Minister of Foreign Affairs. They will be able to tell you,” he said.
On whether NiDCOM is collaborating with airlines or foreign authorities to ensure Nigerians are not left stranded, the spokesperson maintained that such collaboration is not feasible under the current circumstances.
“There is suspension of all airlines. We cannot collaborate with anybody,” he said, noting that Nigeria currently has no national carrier operating international routes.
“Which Nigerian airline? We don’t have one now,” he added.
Balogun explained that Nigerians travelling to Iran typically do so as private individuals, often connecting through countries such as Dubai or Greece.
Speaking on the possibility of activating a full evacuation plan, Balogun said certain conditions must be met before the Federal Government can intervene.
He stressed that affected Nigerians must formally request assistance and be willing to return home.
“You cannot force them. People went there voluntarily. In Sudan and Ukraine, some initially said they were not leaving. So people must seek for help and say, ‘Our lives are in danger, can you evacuate us?’”
He explained that once such a request is made and conditions permit, the Federal Government could arrange emergency measures, including chartering aircraft and setting up a rescue committee.
“All must be Nigerian and must be ready to come back home,” he stated.
Balogun affirmed that the protection of Nigerians abroad remains a core responsibility of the Federal Government in line with its citizen diplomacy policy.
“If the life of any Nigerian is in danger and it reaches out to us, the Federal Government will look for a way out. Even if we don’t have an aircraft, we can lease or hire for that operation,” he said.
However, he reiterated that without a ceasefire and the reopening of airspace, evacuation efforts would be impracticable.
“As far as I know, I’m not aware that anybody has sent a distress call,” he maintained, adding that international protocols must also be observed in situations of global airspace restrictions.
