The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says it has not received a single distress call from Nigerians in Iran, despite intensifying hostilities involving the United States and Israel.
Speaking to newsmen, NiDCOM’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stressed that while Nigerians may be resident in Iran, none has formally sought the commission’s assistance.
“I’m not saying there are no Nigerians there. I’m only saying nobody has sent any distress call,” he said.
Asked to estimate how many Nigerians could be affected by the crisis, Balogun said the commission does not have such figures, noting that matters concerning diplomatic presence fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We don’t have embassies there. The only person controlling embassies is the Minister of Foreign Affairs. They will be able to tell you,” he stated.
On whether NiDCOM is working with airlines or foreign authorities to prevent Nigerians from being stranded, the spokesperson said the current flight suspensions make such coordination impossible.
“There is a suspension of flights by all airlines. We cannot collaborate with anybody,” he said.
Balogun also underscored Nigeria’s lack of a national carrier operating international routes.
“Which Nigerian airline? We don’t have one now,” he added.
He explained that Nigerians travelling to Iran typically do so privately, often connecting through transit hubs such as the United Arab Emirates or Greece.
On the possibility of evacuation, Balogun maintained that certain diplomatic and security conditions must be met before the Federal Government can trigger a full-scale intervention.
