Why we changed aircraft evacuating Nigerians from Dubai – FG

The Federal Government has said the aircraft conveying Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday returned to Dubai after an hour into the flight, The PUNCH reports.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed this to The PUNCH on Wednesday afternoon.

The MFA had announced that the flight repatriating the Nigerian evacuees amid the pandemic would be operated by Emirates Airlines and would arrive at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, 6th May 2020 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

But in an exclusive story on Wednesday, The PUNCH reports that a Nigerian woman, amongst the 265 evacuees on the repatriation flight from Dubai to Lagos, gave birth to a baby an hour into the about eight hours journey.

The NIDCOM chair said the pilots returned the flight to Dubai and changed the aircraft.

When asked whether the flight would still arrive in Lagos on Wednesday, Dabiri-Erewa said, “Yes. Emirates had to change to another aircraft which is now en route to Lagos with 265 returnees on board. But it cost Emirates a lot. Our Ambassador in Dubai, Amb. Mohammed Rimi and officers at the Mission are in touch with the mum and son. Both (are) doing well.”