Nigerian leader orders evacuation of citizens trapped by Hurricane Maria

Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-26 02:00:01|Editor: yan
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ABUJA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian leader Muhammdu Buhari has ordered the immediate evacuation of Nigeria's citizens that were stranded in the tiny island nation of Dominica, in the eastern Caribbean, following the devastating report of Hurricane Maria on that island.

Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesman, confirmed the presidential order on Monday, saying the Nigerian citizens, already identified as students in the island nation, will be moved to Brazil, where they do not need visas, for onward evacuation to Nigeria.

"The president was deeply touched when he learned that some of them escaped with nothing but the shirts on their backs," Shehu told reporters.

Following Buhari's directive, the Nigerian foreign ministry had been working to quicken the evacuation of the students, according to the official News Agency of Nigeria.

The Nigerian FM had assigned a senior official to travel for the purpose of issuing the stranded students with temporary travel certificates.

Nigerian students attend medical schools in the island nation which prepare them to move to the United States and Europe for the completion of their medical degree programs.

At least 10 people were killed as Hurricane Maria, ranked a Category 4 storm, raged through the Caribbean with heavy rain and high winds as it passed off its east coast last Thursday.

Hurricane Maria, with sustained winds of up to 250 km per hour, hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday, making it the strongest storm to hit the U.S. territory in nearly 90 years.

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