By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has released emergency hotline numbers for Nigerians in distress across countries in the Middle East following escalating tensions in the ongoing US/Israel-Iran war.
NiDCOM released the contacts in a notice shared on its official X handle on Friday, March 6, adding that the hotlines are available to provide urgent consular assistance to Nigerians who may require help due to the evolving security situation.
The commission also urged Nigerians living in or travelling through the region to save the numbers and contact the nearest Nigerian mission immediately in an emergency.
According to the notice, the emergency hotlines for Nigerians abroad are: Embassy of Nigeria, Abu Dhabi, UAE – +971 56 884 4130; Consulate-General of Nigeria, Dubai, UAE – +971 56 377 8678; Embassy of Nigeria, Kuwait (covers Bahrain) – +965 97895737, +965 99509288; Embassy of Nigeria, Tel Aviv, Israel – +972 547115279, +234 7064263944; and Embassy of Nigeria, Doha, Qatar – +974 30197102, +974 30197261.
Others include the Embassy of Nigeria, Beirut, Lebanon – +961 78 861 779, +234 8038954425; Embassy of Nigeria, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (covers Oman) – +966 542149456, +966 565695763; Consulate-General of Nigeria, Jeddah – +966 560965633; and Embassy of Nigeria, Amman, Jordan (covers Iraq) – +962 777369428, +962 776594020.
The commission further urged Nigerians abroad to remain vigilant, follow local safety advisories, and stay in touch with Nigerian missions for updates and support.
This comes days after the commission said it is yet to receive any distress call from Nigerians residing in Iran, following ongoing hostilities between Iran and the United States and its ally, Israel, even as the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is still monitoring the situation in the Middle East.
Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media and Public Relations at NiDCOM, noted that although there may be Nigerians in Iran, none had officially reached out to the commission for assistance.
He said: “I’m not saying there are no Nigerians there, I’m only saying nobody has sent any distress call.”
Balogun added that flight cancellations to the region are due to ongoing hostilities, stressing that no airline will operate in an active war zone.
“You cannot fly where bombs are going up and down. No airline will fly,” he said, adding that the situation affects all nationals, not just Nigerians.
On the possibility of activating a full evacuation plan, Balogun said certain conditions must be met before the Federal Government could intervene.
He stressed that affected Nigerians must formally request assistance and be willing to return home.
“You cannot force them; people went there voluntarily. In Sudan and Ukraine, some initially said they were not leaving. So people must seek for help and say, ‘our lives are in danger, can you evacuate us?” he said.
The NiDCOM spokesman added that once such a request was made and conditions permit, the Federal Government could arrange emergency measures, including chartering aircraft and setting up a rescue committee.
