The Katsina State Government has demanded urgent evacuation of Nigerian students stranded in war-torn Sudan.
It said a swift intervention will save the students and mitigate the level of trauma they are presently experiencing.
The Katsina State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Badamas Lawal Charanchi, made the demand in an interview with newsmen in Katsina.
He said although the Federal Government has expressed deep concern over the situation, efforts being made to evacuate them from the crisis-ridden Sudan have not yielded significant results so far.
He said: “Many parents, especially those whose children and wards are still in Sudan are worried about their safety. Enemy planes are continuously hovering over them at Afrique University, Khartoum.
‘’The situation creates psychological fear in the minds of the students thus making them to be discouraged in the pursuit of education in foreign lands. And those with interest in studying abroad are not being given a good signal’’.
The Commissioner also called on the international community, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations and the African Union to step up actions to restore peace to Sudan to avoid the escalation of the humanitarian crisis in the sub-region.
He advised all Nigerians to intensify prayers for normalcy to return to Sudan and all countries experiencing crises.
He urged those saddled with responsibility of evacuating the students to leave no stone unturned in guaranteeing their safety and bringing them back to Nigeria.
He expressed concerns that Nigerian students are there without food, money and shelter.
The Commissioner also called on the Federal Government through Nigerian Embassy in Sudan to help provide more buses for the evacuation.