Stranded Nigerians In China: Minister Meets Chinese Ambassador

Following reports of alleged maltreatment of Nigerians trapped in China, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, on Thursday, said that a clear message have been sent to the Chinese Government to intervene and ensure evacuation of any citizen ready to leave the country.

Onyeama stated this via his verified twitter handle after he met with Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Zhou Pingjian at his office in Abuja on Thursday

“Invited the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Zhou Pingjian to communicate @NigeriaGov‘s extreme concern at allegations of maltreatment of Nigerians in Guangzhou, #China and called for immediate Chinese Govt. intervention”, the minister tweeted.

Earlier at the daily briefings by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Onyeama said, “We have started to get greater number of Nigerians, especially in the United States, where almost 200 have now indicated their willingness to return.

“We are engaging with our embassy in China and our High Commissioners in London and also in France to work out all the logistics but things are now beginning to fall in place and we are getting the sense of what needs to be done.”

He said, “The response is not as a result of letters or whatever that has been coming in from Nigerians in the Diaspora as has been mentioned in some media houses but actually something that was taken up by the task force right from the beginning.

“Of course, at that time we didn’t have all the isolation centres in place and all the other logistical arrangements in place. So for that reason, we kept it in abeyance while we are putting those things in place.

“And hence now that we have all those things in place, we are in a stronger and better position to bring Nigerians outside the country back.”

Mr Onyeama directed all Nigerians interested in returning into the country to work with Nigeria’s embassies and high commissions where they are.

“What is important to get out to all Nigerians is that their engagement and communication should be with the embassies, high commissions and not with any other parallel agency, department of government or anything like that,” he said.

“It should be channelled through them because it is with them that we are collating the names and making all the arrangements.”