Federal government said Tuesday it is closely monitoring the escalating crisis in the Middle East, pledging that no Nigerian national in the region would be left endangered as military exchanges between the United States, Israel, and Iran continued to rattle Gulf states.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) issued the assurance amid growing anxiety among Nigerians with relatives living and working across the volatile region.
“The federal government is monitoring the situation and will take necessary steps to ensure no Nigerian life is endangered,” NiDCOM’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said in a statement.
The commission added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with all relevant agencies as the situation develops, while urging Nigerians in the affected countries to follow official travel advisories issued by the ministry.
NiDCOM also moved to debunk a circulating report claiming its spokesman had said no distress calls had been received from Nigerians in the region. The commission denied making any such statement, saying it had in fact received enquiries from Nigerians in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran, asking about the government’s plans should conditions worsen.
However, Balogun acknowledged the significant logistical constraints that any potential future response would face, noting the near-total suspension of commercial aviation across the region.
“You cannot fly where bombs are going up and down. No airline will fly,” he said, adding that the flight disruptions affected all nationalities equally.
When asked about the possibility of a government-chartered evacuation, Balogun was candid about Nigeria’s aviation limitations. “Which Nigerian airline? We don’t have one now,” he said.
NiDCOM urged Nigerians in the affected regions to remain calm, stay in contact with Nigerian diplomatic missions, and await further guidance from the federal government.
The crisis erupted after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting Iranian retaliatory attacks across several Gulf countries. The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission has since suspended all pilgrimages to Israel and the wider Middle East region in response to the deteriorating security situation.
Nigeria has not announced any evacuation plan and officials gave no timeline for any further action beyond continued monitoring.
