Only 2 Nigerians in Switzerland wanted to return home –Envoy

The Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland, Baba Madugu, said on Tuesday two Nigerians temporarily living in the Alpine nation had declared their desire to be evacuated to Nigeria due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

Madugu, who disclosed this to journalists, said a woman on internship in Zurich and a man, who had embarked on a brief visit to Geneva had contacted the embassy and expressed their willingness to be evacuated back home following the government’s lockdown order which has seen Swiss residents staying at home since March 16.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently directed the country’s missions abroad to compile lists of willing nationals who wished to return home.

According to the envoy, most Nigerians in the country are residents and did not fall under the category of those stranded in a foreign land.

“That explains their unwillingness to be evacuated home as they are not in need of such measure,” he said.

Madugu also told journalists that there has not been reported cases of Nigerians who had tested positive for the coronavirus in Switzerland.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Britain to begin evacuation of nationals in Nigeria

He appealed to the Diaspora community to strictly adhere to the safety guidelines put in place by the Swiss authorities.

Switzerland currently has 25,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,000 deaths.

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