Ikpea Appreciates God for saving the lives of Nigeria Evacuees whose bus caught fire while fleeing crises in Sudan.
..Commends Egyptian authority for emergency aid, granting of safe passage.
Ubiaja 2nd May, 2023.
A frontline aspirant for the position of governor of Edo State, Hon (Dr) Joseph Ikpea has appreciated God almighty, the creator of the universe for saving the lives of over 50 Nigerian Evacuees traveling in a bus and fleeing from crises ridden Sudan through Egyptian territory.
In a special appreciation and thanksgiving statement signed by Hon Ikpea in Ubiaja, the trailblazing governor hopeful of Esan extraction, the next inline for the exalted position, passionately thanked the creator for saving the lives of the fleeing Nigerians in a foreign territory.
In his word “this special divine intervention on the lives of our compatriot again give credence to the fact that God love Nigerians a lot. It would have been double palava for those running from crises to be burnt in auto fire if not for God’s divine intervention. This calls for a national celebration and jubilation” Ikpea told newsmen in Ubiaja.
Hon Ikpea also used the medium to appreciate and commend the Egyptian authority for providing a rout of safe passage to the Nigerian Citizens and for protecting the stranded passengers overnight in their territory. “I must commend the Egyptian security forces who offered breakfast to the the stranded Evacuees and protected them all through the night until they were safely boarded into other buses chartered by the Nigerian Government for the purpose. The love showned by the Egyptian authority deeply indicate that we Africans are one”, he added.
Below is the excerpt of the mainstream coverage of the development.
Bus evacuating Nigerians from Sudan catches fire
One of the buses conveying stranded Nigerians from the capital of Sudan, Khartoum to Port Sudan where they will move into Saudi Arabia caught fire early Monday.
Twenty-six buses were transporting the stranded Nigerians left at Al Razi around 12:am on Monday for Port Sudan.
A witness of the ugly experience disclosed this adding that all the passengers escaped without injuries, according to DT.
“One of the buses conveying some 50 Nigerian students from Sudan with a tag number (Katsina 1) heading to Port Sudan as part of the second batch of FGN evacuation got damaged due to excessive heat from one of the vehicle’s tyres.
“Dr Hashim Idris Na’Allah, the chairman of the Nigerian Elders’ Forum in Sudan, was one of the passengers in the said bus, which contained a total of 50 students (49 males, 1 female).
“The incident happened around 2:30 am Sudan time.
“The driver stopped the bus near an RSF checkpoint, just before the tire exploded causing a fire to start.
“All the passengers escaped unhurt.
“Forty out of the 50 passengers were later distributed to the other buses evacuating the students, while the remaining passengers spent the night where the incident happened alongside the driver at the RSF checkpoint.
“The students said the RSF really did their possible best to help the passengers and offered them with cups of tea in the morning before they left,” Sani Aliyu who is in Sudan disclosed.
They have, however, continued their journey to Port Sudan, DT said.
Over 1000 Nigerians are being evacuated through the Port Sudan channel following the difficulties faced in getting the first batch of evacuees across the Egypt borders.
The stranded Nigerians have spent five days at the borders as the Egyptian officials denied them access into the country where flights are already waiting to airlift them to Nigeria.
