Russia-Ukraine War: Nigerian returnees recount experiences

Three batches of Nigerian evacuees from Ukraine arrived Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city on Friday and have recounted their experiences while fleeing the war torn country.

Although they expressed mixed feelings, the evacuees were visibly happy to return home to safety.

PREMIUM TIMES spoke with some of them at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport where they were received by different government agencies including the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission; National Emergency Management Agency amongst others.

A sixth-year medical student in Kyiv (Ukraine’s capital), who identified herself as Blessing, said the experience was ‘really scary.’

“I did not find the courage to leave immediately, I left a few days after everything started; I knew I had to leave when I saw some soldiers setting up in front of my house,” Blessing said.

“I was not trying to find out what was going to happen, I took a train to the next city, Lviv. It was really difficult because everyone was trying to run away; we still had to scamper to safety while trying to get on the train whenever the siren went off.”

She told PREMIUM TIMES that she had planned to go to Hungary with her friends but the trains were not taking them.

“Several trains passed us but they refused to take us, my friends and I had already given up when a guy advised us to go check because they were letting women and children in and that was how we got on the train to Poland.”

For Blessing, her feelings are mixed. “Honestly, I have mixed feelings. I am supposed to graduate in three months and now I am still trying to figure out what to do.”

Victor Osifo, a fifth-year medical student in Kyiv, said he left last Friday after the first explosions went off.

“The explosion sounds scary and in that kind of situation, you just have to run for your life. I took a train to Lviv… we were on the road for about three to four days in the cold trying to cross the border… I am back home, what is important is my safety. I am happy I am safe now and I do not need to worry about war or any explosions,” Osifo said.

Another student, Omo, a third year computer engineering student in Ivano-Frankivsk, said he left Ukraine on his own volition and not out of fear despite the bombing at an airport in his city.

It took about four to five days for Omo to get to Poland after being at the famous Medyka border for three days and seeing that it was a tough nut to crack, he took a train into Poland.

“It was difficult to get in. There was a lot of discrimination there but I cannot really blame the Ukrainians, because if they really want to remain on the planet, they have to move their people first,” Omo said.

When asked how he felt being home, he said, ”I cannot really say much about that, my heart goes out to people who are still in Ukraine suffering both nationals and foreigners. I feel the people at the war front are the real heroes.”

Irelioluwa Ajayi, a third year student of Kharkiv medical university, said he left Kharkiv after the war started.

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“We could not sleep anymore, we had to stay underground for a whole day, so immediately we had the opportunity to step out, we packed about bags and started running.

“I used the Lviv border, we spent close to four days trying to get through. It was very cold, very hectic. It is mixed feelings; everybody is happy to be alive, because being alive comes with being hopeful for many things and on the other hand, you are quite sad because your plans may not work as planned,” he said.

Mr Ajayi encouraged his colleagues who are still in Sumy, a city caught in the crossfire, to keep hope alive knowing that all is not lost.

Background

PREMIUM TIMES reported the arrival of 772 evacuees who arrived Nigeria on Friday through Max Air and Air Peace, two airlines billed to airlift Nigerians returning from Ukraine.

The federal government on Wednesday, approved $8.5 million for the evacuation of 5,000 stranded Nigerians.

Russia commenced attacking Ukraine about a week ago in what President Vladimir Putin said was a ‘special military operation.’

Over one million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, the United Nations said, warning that “at this rate” the exodus could become “the biggest refugee crisis this century.”