The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, said it is yet to receive any distress call from Nigerians residing in Iran, following ongoing hostilities between Iran and the United States and its ally, Israel.

Recall that the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is still monitoring the situation in the Middle East.

NiDCOM Director of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, who disclosed this on Monday, said that though there might be Nigerians in Iran, none had officially reached out to the commission for assistance.

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“I’m not saying there are no Nigerians there, I’m only saying nobody has sent any distress call,” he clarified.

According to him, flight cancellations to the region are due to ongoing hostilities, stressing that no airline will operate in an active war zone.

“There may be a 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.

On the possibility of activating a full evacuation plan, Balogun said certain conditions must be met before the Federal Government can intervene.

He stressed that affected Nigerians must formally request assistance and be willing to return home.

“You cannot force them. People went there voluntarily. In Sudan and Ukraine, some initially said they were not leaving.

“So people must seek help and say, ‘Our lives are in danger, can you evacuate us?’”

He explained that once such a request is made and conditions permit, the Federal Government could arrange emergency measures, including chartering aircraft and setting up a rescue committee.

“All must be Nigerian and must be ready to come back home,” he stated.

Balogun affirmed that the protection of Nigerians abroad remains a core responsibility of the Federal Government in line with its citizen diplomacy policy.

“If the life of any Nigerian is in danger and it reaches out to us, the Federal Government will look for a way out. Even if we don’t have an aircraft, we can lease or hire for that operation,” he said.

However, he reiterated that without a ceasefire and the reopening of airspace, evacuation efforts would be impracticable.

“As far as I know, I’m not aware that anybody has sent a distress call,” he maintained, adding that international protocols must also be observed in situations of global airspace restrictions.