The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has urged Nigerians in Lebanon to “leave the country while commercial flights are still in operation.”
This advice follows Israel’s announcement that it had started an “invasion of southern Lebanon after two weeks of attacks.”
Lebanese officials have reported that the ongoing conflict has resulted in “the death of more than 1,000 people and forced up to a million to flee their homes.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the current military action as “limited, localised, and targeted ground raids” aimed at Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group.
The decision to launch these ground operations came “four days after an air strike that killed Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader.”
Israel has had a long-standing conflict with Hezbollah, but the Gaza war with Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah, has fueled “almost a year of deadly cross-border fighting between them.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, NIDCOM expressed its concern over the increasing attacks.
The agency reported that the Nigerian community in Lebanon had “relocated from the southern area and are now relatively safe.”
“We hereby advise them to keep safe until the ceasefire is in place,” the statement added.
NIDCOM also assured that no Nigerian citizens in Lebanon have been reported injured or involved in accidents due to the conflict.
“Nigerians are equally advised to liaise with our Embassy in Lebanon for necessary guidance regarding their safety,” NIDCOM stated, noting that “President Bola Tinubu is concerned about their welfare.”
