The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says 75 out of 230 stranded Nigerian Football fans absconded in Russia after the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Dr. Tope Elias-Fatile, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja that the fans absconded despite government’s efforts to repatriate them.
Fatile said that 230 stranded Nigerian football fans were profiled to board chartered Ethiopian Airline to Abuja but at the last minute, only 155 boarded the flight.
“As at the last count, over 230 stranded Nigerians had been cleared to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Abuja; however, only 155 boarded the flight that arrived Friday night of July 22,” he said.
He said that the ministry officials had to contribute to feeding some of the stranded Nigerians in Moscow as many of them were left with nothing.
He said that though they had the rights not to come back it would be better for them to return because of the unfavorable weather in that country.
He said that the mission had done a lot to facilitate their coming back but they did not appreciate it. He said that if however, they repented and decided to come back, the ministry was ever ready to assist them.
