Nigerians caught in the middle of the deadly war between Israel and Iran have cried out for help, saying they are hiding in underground shelters and receiving no support from the Nigerian government.
“We are on the run. The embassy is shut and doing nothing. We’ve taken cover in bomb shelters,” a Nigerian living in Jerusalem told Saturday PUNCH under anonymity, describing the panic among citizens.
Fighting broke out last Friday after Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion” with massive missile attacks on Iranian military targets.
In response, Iran fired over 100 missiles at Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, where the Nigerian embassy is located.
So far, at least 264 people, including 70 women and children, have died since the fighting began.
Many Nigerians in Israel say they now live in fear, constantly rushing into bomb shelters when sirens warn of incoming attacks.
“We’re in an Israeli bomb shelter. I can’t answer calls,” Ekene Abaka, a Nigerian in Tel Aviv, said in a Facebook message.
Another Nigerian, speaking on a podcast, said, “We didn’t even grab water. We just ran. The shelter was locked. We had to find another one.”
A Facebook page, Travels Vlog, shared videos showing Nigerians scrambling for safety. In one clip, someone screamed, “Oh! It’s closed. Why did they lock this place?” as people ran through the dark looking for shelter.
Solomon, who runs the vlog, explained that the Israeli government sends text alerts when missiles are detected.
“We get about 10 minutes’ notice before impact, then the sirens begin and everyone panics,” Solomon said.
Also Read:
- 15 K!lled in Fresh Attacks on Plateau Communities
- Convicted Robber Caught Trying to Get Passport in Lagos
Most economic and social activities in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have stopped. The Israeli government has closed all schools, offices, and public events until at least Sunday evening.
The shutdown has left many Nigerians jobless and struggling.
“We pay rent monthly and get paid hourly. Now everything’s closed. We have no income. We’re scared. We don’t know how we’ll survive,” said a Nigerian software engineer.
He accused the Nigerian embassy of ignoring their plight. “They just issue visas and do travel duties. They don’t care about our welfare.”
While countries like the United States, China, Greece, Germany, and the Czech Republic have evacuated their citizens, Nigeria has yet to begin evacuations.
“I have people in Israel trying to leave, but there is no way,” a woman named Hope Omobeauty said during Solomon’s podcast.
The Nigerian government says it is waiting for border clearance to begin evacuation. Over 1,000 Nigerians in Iran and Israel are expected to be rescued.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian embassy in Tehran has arranged buses to move Nigerians to Armenia, where they will fly out from the capital, Yerevan.
“We are only waiting for Armenia’s permission to cross the border,” said Kimiebi Ebienfa, the ministry’s spokesperson.
He advised Nigerians to remain in safe areas and monitor their phones for evacuation alerts.
“All hands are on deck to get permission for safe passage and airlifting to Abuja,” he assured.