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The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has stated that it has not received any distress calls from Nigerian citizens living in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. This information was disclosed by the spokesperson for the commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

Responding to a question regarding the actions taken by the Federal Government to evacuate Nigerian citizens residing in the battle zone, Mr. Balogun confirmed that no distress calls have been made by Nigerians in the area so far. He further explained that while thousands of foreigners are stranded in Israel and the Palestinian territories due to the full-blown war, several countries have initiated repatriation operations for their citizens, whereas others are in the planning phase.

Concerning Nigerians in the conflict zone, the NiDCOM spokesperson reiterated that they have not reached out for assistance. He pointed out that during previous crises, such as the outbreak of the Coronavirus in China or the wars in Ukraine and Sudan, Nigerians residing in those areas made distress calls to NiDCOM and other relevant agencies, and were successfully repatriated.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, had also stated that Nigerian diasporas were not facing pressure due to the war in the Gaza Strip.

As of now, at least 5,791 Palestinians have lost their lives in the strikes on the Hamas-ruled enclave. The conflict intensified on October 7, when Hamas militants launched an attack, resulting in numerous casualties and the capture of 150 individuals. The Israeli army has ordered the evacuation of over one million people from northern Gaza within 24 hours, in preparation for a potential ground operation. Additionally, since Israel began its relentless bombing campaign against the Gaza Strip over two weeks ago, nearly 5,100 Palestinians have been killed. Conversely, over 1,400 people in Israel have lost their lives, mostly civilians targeted in the initial Hamas assault.

NAN