How Buhari Government Spent N1.5Billion To Evacuate 1,500 Nigerians From Europe

The details of how President Muhammadu Buhari’s government spent about N1.5 billion to evacuate Nigerian nationals across Europe back to the country during the Russia-Ukraine war have been found by SaharaReporters.

This was seen in a response to the Freedom of Information (FOI) letter written by a civic group, Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), asking the agency to explain how it spent the approved $8.5 million budget for the immediate evacuation of about 5,000 Nigerians stranded in Poland, Romania and Hungary when the Russia-Ukraine war started.

According to a copy of NEMA’s response obtained by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, NEMA spent $3,546,912.48 (N1,467,712,384.224 at the exchange rate of N413.8), €84,952 (N39,320,882.72 at the exchange rate of N462.86 and N36,480.

The total amount spent to evacuate 1,500 persons from three European countries to Nigeria in 10 days in March 2022, when converted into naira, is N1,543,513,266.944 (approximately N1.5 billion).

According to NEMA, the operation lasted between March 3 and 13, 2022.

The document shows that the agency paid $2,224,000.00 to three airlines –  Air Peace Limited, Azman Air Limited, and Max Air Limited – to airlift a total of 1,500 Nigerian citizens from Europe during the war.

Air Peace Limited received $1,224,000.00; Azman Air Limited received $500,000.00 and Max Air Limited also received $500,000.00.

NEMA also said 1497 returnees were paid $100 each, totalling $149,700.00 to empower them to their various destination after they landed safely in Nigeria.

On March 4, 2022, Max Air flew 415 returnees from Romania while Air Peace flew 181 from Poland and 174 from Hungary.

Om March 6, 2022, Air Peace flew 306 returnees from Hungary, and 123 from Poland while Azman Air flew 301 from Hungary.

Other payments for logistics and other items include payment to the Refugees Commission (Logistics) – $82,737.34, which is equivalent to N33,770,900.00, payment to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Ministry (Logistics) – $14,318.51(USD) (equivalent to N5,925,000.00), payment to Foreign Affairs Ministry (Foreign Mission) – $1,076,156.63, another payment of Foreign Affairs Ministry (Foreign Mission) – €84,952.00 and payment to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for (Logistics) – N36,480,000.00.

This indicates that the agency did not exhaust the government-approved $8.5 million budgeted for the evacuation mission during the Russian-Ukraine war, leaving a balance of $4,793,504 (N1,983,551,999.256) left.