COVID-19: 900 Britons stranded in Nigeria set to return home

The UK government on Friday said nine Hundred British citizens in Nigeria are set to return home on three flights chartered by the United Kingdom Government.

A statement from the British High Commission in Abuja said the flights would take off on April 28, Abuja-London; May 1, Lagos-London and May 5, Lagos-London.

Many Britons have been evacuated on arranged flights from Lagos and Abuja airports to London on account of the coronavirus pandemic.

Once completed, these additional flights will bring the total number of people flown back to the UK from Nigeria on government charter flights to around 2,000.

It stated, “The additional charter flights have been arranged for British travellers and their dependents, whose primary residence is the UK. Priority is given to the most vulnerable travellers, for example, people with health conditions.”

The UK government said it is working with the airline industry and host governments across the world to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on March 30.

It added that up to £75 million was made available for special charter flights to priority countries focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers.

The statement said charter flights have returned British travellers from India, the Philippines, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nepal, Ghana, Tunisia, Algeria and Peru.

Commenting on the evacuation, the Minister of State for Africa, James Duddridge, said, “Our next phase of UK Government charter flights will mean another 900 British travellers are able to return home from Nigeria. We appreciate this has been a difficult time and will continue to work closely with the Nigerian authorities to support those wishing to return to the UK.”

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, however, express appreciation to everyone who worked to make the flights possible.