The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has stated that it has not received any distress signal from Nigerians residing in Iran amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
According to the commission’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, although Nigerians may be present in Iran, none has formally contacted NiDCOM for help.
He noted that the lack of an official appeal does not imply the absence of Nigerians in the country, but simply indicates that no one has contacted the commission for support.
“I’m not saying there are no Nigerians there; I’m simply saying no one has reached out with a distress call,” he explained.
When asked about the number of Nigerians who might be affected, Balogun said the commission does not maintain such records and directed enquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We do not operate embassies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs oversees embassies and would be in a better position to provide that information,” he said.
On possible collaboration with airlines or foreign authorities to prevent Nigerians from being stranded, Balogun noted that such efforts are currently impracticable due to the suspension of flights.
“There is suspension of (flights) by all airlines. We cannot collaborate with anybody,” he said, noting that Nigeria currently has no national carrier operating international routes. Which Nigerian airline? We don’t have one now” he said.
Balogun explained that commercial flight operations into the affected areas have been suspended due to the security situation, making air travel impossible for now.
“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.
“There may be ceasefire for two or three days to allow people who are stranded at the airport to be evacuated. That has not been done,” he noted.
Regarding potential evacuation efforts, he said current airspace closures prevent any immediate coordination with airlines, adding that Nigeria currently has no functional national carrier for international operations.
He pointed out that Nigerians who visit Iran usually travel independently, connecting through hubs such as the United Arab Emirates or Greece.
He added that once such requests are made and conditions permit, the Federal Government could explore emergency options, including chartering aircraft.
Balogun added that any evacuation process would require affected citizens to officially seek help and express willingness to return home.
Once those conditions are met and the environment permits, the Federal Government could consider emergency arrangements, including chartered flights.
“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.
