The second group of Sudanese refugees to arrive in Nigeria on Friday caused a flurry of activity at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
128 women and 2 men who had survived the fighting in Khartoum, the Darfur region, as well as the perilous desert between Sudan and Egypt, made up the passengers who boarded the Taco Airline aircraft.
Their faces were etched with a mixture of relief, exhaustion, and anxiety as the passengers got off the plane.
They had travelled a perilous route in order to escape the war and violence that had decimated their communities and homes in Sudan.
Many of them saw the trip to Nigeria as the beginning of a new life, one that was free of the fear and uncertainty that had been weighing them down for weeks.
Recall how chaos and violence erupted in Khartoum that evening on April 15, 2023, as the sun set over the city.
Fighting broke out between rival military government factions in Sudan, and it quickly spread throughout the city and into the neighbouring Darfur region.
By April 25th, there had been 559 fatalities and over 4,000 injuries. Because of the dire circumstances, the federal government started evacuating Nigerian citizens from the area.
The first and second waves of evacuees, who had terrifying tales to share, arrived in Abuja on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
The situation was dire for Nigerian students and business owners who had settled in Sudan.
Numerous people were compelled to flee for their lives, abandoning their studies and everything they had created and laboured for.
One of the travellers, who had fled her Darfur home, shared her tale. I have two lovely children, and my name is Fatima Ahmed. The war that has ravaged Sudan has forced us to leave our home in Darfur. I ran a small business that supported my family, but I was unable to stay due to the conflict.
“To get to the Egypt border, we had to leave everything behind and board buses through the desert. We encountered numerous obstacles during the protracted and challenging journey. We had to carry very little food and water, and we had to be alert for danger at all times.
“It was heartbreaking to think back on how much we had all endured, and it was heartbreaking to see so many other families and individuals from other nations who were also escaping the violence in Sudan.
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“Despite the challenges we encountered, we were committed to reaching safety. Without any breaks or shade from the sweltering sun, we spent hours upon hours in buses. I was concerned for the welfare of my hungry and worn-out kids.
“But eventually, at what seemed like an interminable distance, we reached the Egypt border. Even though our journey was far from over at that point, we were grateful to have made it that far despite feeling exhausted and relieved.
“We were aware that we still had a long journey ahead of us, but we were steadfast in our resolve to keep going in search of safety and security for our family.
One of the hardest and most traumatic experiences of my life was leaving the war-torn Sudan with my kids.
Amina Abdulrahman, a 22-year-old university student, was another evacuee who had a terrifying experience. “When the shooting began, I was in my dorm room. The sound of the bullets flying by my window was audible. I quickly grabbed my bag and exited the building, she recalled.
A group of armed men stopped Abdulrahman and some other students as they were making their way to the airport and demanded money in exchange for their release.
“We had to give it our all for them. Our money and phones were stolen. We were fortunate to escape harm, she said to Saturday Vanguard.
A similar story was told to Saturday Vanguard by Kaltume Aliyu, a Nigerian health worker in Sudan who was one of the refugees who fled the country’s war-torn country through the desert.
She declared, “I saw the atrocities of war and the effects it had on helpless civilians. When the time came for me to depart, I knew it would be a challenging trip, but I had no idea how terrifying it would be.
“The trip across the desert from Sudan to Egypt was incredibly challenging. We were a group of evacuees who had to endure the sweltering heat, a lack of food and water, the potential for bandit attacks, as well as other risks along the way.
“As a health professional, I was especially worried about the health and wellbeing of the people in our group, but there wasn’t much I could do given the limited resources we had.
“Despite the difficulties, I did my best to help those who required medical attention. I managed everything from heat stroke and dehydration to fall-related injuries.
It was heartbreaking to witness some of the kids in our group endure illnesses and wounds that, if we had had access to proper medical facilities, could have been treated quickly.
“I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread and uncertainty about what lay ahead as we continued through the desert. But I also experienced a strong sense of pride for belonging to a group of individuals who were committed to surviving and reaching safety at any cost.
“I was overcome with gratitude and relief when we arrived in Egypt. I was well aware that I had been fortunate to arrive at my destination relatively unscathed, but I was also keenly aware of the many others who had not.
“The strength and resiliency of the people I met along the way have left a lasting impression on me, and I will never forget my experience as a health worker in Sudan and as an evacuee in the desert.”
Another Nigerian student in Sudan named Abdul, who was among the first group of evacuees, says his time there will live long in his memory.
According to him, “I never could have imagined the horrors that would unfold in front of my eyes as a Nigerian student studying in Khartoum, Sudan.
“The violence and anarchy that broke out in the capital city traumatised me and changed me forever.”
When asked how he felt when the fight started, Abdul responded, “It all started with the gunshots. We initially believed it to be merely a minor altercation between rival groups, but as the sound of gunfire grew louder and the streets grew more disorderly, it became obvious that something much more sinister was taking place.
“I can still clearly recall the explosions and shelling that shook the city. My body was shaken by the loud, deafening boom of bombs and grenades as they echoed through the streets. Smoke and the odour of burning cars and buildings filled the air.
“As the violence increased, my fellow Nigerian students and I came to the conclusion that we had to leave the nation as soon as possible.
“We quickly organised into a group of people who were desperate to leave the city’s tumultuous environment.
“The trip out of Khartoum was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever done. As we first made our way to the airport, we had to manoeuvre through the city’s war-torn streets, dodging bullets and shrapnel.
“Gunfire seemed to follow us everywhere, and I was constantly checking behind me for fear of getting caught in the crossfire.
“The scenes of chaos and desperation that greeted us at the airport when we eventually arrived were almost too much to handle. Everyone was shoving and shoving while not knowing exactly what to do.
“Without any chance of planes leaving Khartoum, we had to head for the desert; except that this was real life, not a scene from a war movie.
“Despite the trauma and fear I went through while living in Sudan, I am thankful to be alive and to have escaped the nation.
But I’ll always be reminded of the brutality and violence that can erupt in even the most unexpected places by the memories of the gunshots, shellings, and explosions.
The second batch of evacuees from Nigeria were welcomed by representatives of the Nigerian government and aid organisations as they went through immigration and customs after landing at the NAIA Abuja.
While some of them reunited with their awaiting relatives, they were given food, water, and other necessities. The National Commission For Refugees Migrants And Internally Displaced Persons Offices offered temporary shelter to those whose family members were not present to receive them.
The Nigerian Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, emphasised the commitment of the government to aiding the Sudanese evacuees in her remarks to reporters at the airport.
“We are committed to giving these people the support they need to rebuild their lives. We are aware of the difficulties they have faced.
“We will continue to work with our partners to provide assistance to those affected by conflict and displacement,” she declared.
The evacuees from Nigeria are filled with both hope and uncertainty as they settle in. They are starting a new chapter in their lives after leaving behind everything they knew and loved in Sudan.
However, they are also appreciative of the chance to start over, as well as the help and support offered by the federal government, other stakeholders, and nonprofit organisations.
Many of them travelled to Nigeria in order to survive and flee the atrocities of war and violence.
