COVID-19: UK announces special charter flights to evacuate citizens from Nigeria

The United Kingdom has announced three more special flights to evacuate British citizens from Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Catriona Laing, the British high commissioner to Nigeria, said the scheduled trips may likely be the last charter flights available.

The flights will take place in three batches, beginning May 29, 2020.

“Hundreds more British travellers are set to return home from Nigeria on three flights chartered by the UK Government,” the statement read.

“More than 1,700 British travellers have already returned to the UK on special charter flights in April and May – from Lagos and Abuja.”

The statement revealed the details of the new flights as follows: Lagos to London on May 29, 2020; another from Lagos to London on June 1, 2020, and the third from Abuja to London on June 6, 2020.

There will also be a separate internal charter flight to convey British travellers from Port Harcourt to Abuja to join the Abuja flight to London on June 6.

“Brits in Nigeria will now have access to additional repatriation flights, meaning hundreds more will be able to fly home,” James Duddridge, UK’s minister of state for Africa, was quoted as saying.

Speaking on the scheduled trips, Laing called on British nationals in Nigeria to take advantage of the opportunity.

“If you are eligible and wish to return to the UK, I’d urge you to book seats on these flights as they are likely to be the last charter flights available,” she said.

On April 24, the UK had announced that there were plans to evacuate 900 Britons were stranded in Nigeria, and on April 28, May 1 and May 8, British nationals were evacuated in different batches from Lagos and Abuja to London.