Sudan crisis: ‘We saw death in Sudan’, last batch of students returnees narrate experience

*Says ‘We really need therapy to overcome trauma’

Two weeks since the airlifting of students and other Nigerian community members from crisis ridden Sudan by the federal government began, the last batch of students to arrive the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at the weekend said they passed through a very traumatic experience.

President, Kano state students in Sudan, Hassan Sanusi, described as “terrible” what they went through in Sudan to the extent that a lot of students fell unconscious and could hardly move out of fear as fighter jets rain bullets and bons in buildings and sundry targets.

He said “If you have ever witnessed fighter jets going around in the sky, dropping missiles, bombs and so on and so forth, and collapsing buildings, you will understand why some are falling unconscious and falling down.

“This really happened and we witnessed so many of it, it was really not easy so I think we that came as the last batch really need a therapist to recover and get healed because was really not easy waking up amidst shootings and bombings.”

Sanusi, a student of the International University of Africa in Khartoum, said “Khartoum is the main warzone that is why we find it very difficult to evacuate. We were scared when we woke up one morning to see that fighting has started with people shooting ok n we another, was not something familiar to us but actually we are the lucky ones.

He commended the federal government especially the permanent secretary of the federal ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Dr. Nasir Gwarzo for the relentless effort at ensuring all Nigerian students that were identified have been airlifted home.

On the plight of other non-student Nigerians left behind, he said “right now we have counted about 160 to 170 Nigerian community members and the reason why they were not among the flight is because some of them have no papers to represent or to prove that they are Nigerians, others have no passport. Some of them are just stranded or are Sudanese-Nigerians so the Nigerian embassy in Sudan is working out ways to handle these cases.

Meanwhile, President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS), in Sudan, Babangida, said they will soon be holding a media briefing to appreciate Nigerians and share their experiences.

Representative of the association of parents whose children are studying in Sudan, Hajiya Asma’u Yerima-Muhammed, expressed joy at the return of the students.

She said in the beginning, parents decided to work in group in order to seek government help because of difficulties in overcoming difficulties getting money and other assistance to their children in Sudan

“Since the beginning of this unfortunate crisis, more parents have joined the group and we now have over 2, 000 parents and U have assumed the leadership role and a middle man between government and the parents to ensure effective communication and the safe evacuation of our students .

“In this last batch, we have 140 students on board and this brings to an end the students evacuation from Sudan.

“All students from Sudan have been brought home. Some came through Port Sudan while others came through Egypt. I happen to have two children, one studying medicine and the other architecture but they are all back home safe,” she explained.

Leading the welcome party, the Permanent Secretary, humanitarian affairs ministry , Dr. Gwarzo led representatives from the federal ministry of foreign affairs, National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), and the Nigerian Commission for Refugees, and Internally Displaced Persons.