Nigerians arrive home after fleeing fighting in Sudan

The first group of Nigerian evacuees from Sudan arrived in Abuja on Wednesday after several days stranded at the border with Egypt.

According to Nigerian authorities, the evacuation plan covers more than 3,500 nationals.

"Bullets passed through our heads, we laid down at our own homes, we had to lay down on the ground. You can't even sit down because the noise is very bad to hear", recounted female student Aisha Aliyu-Kaga. 

Male student Muhammad Abdulrahman added "I have never experienced this kind of situation. And it is in the period of Ramadan.
We are fasting, no food, no water and there is gunshot across".

On Monday, Egyptian authorities agreed to let the evacuees cross the border following an intervention by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.

"Two batches are coming in, one by the Nigeria Air Force, about 90, but an estimate of everybody on the flight is about 350, so 90 on C130 (Name of the Nigeria air-force aircraft, Ed.) and the rest on Air Peace (airline, Ed.)", announced Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Director General, Nigeria In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).

The fighting in Sudan has killed at least 550 people, displaced tens of thousands and triggered an exodus of foreigners and international staff.