COVID-19: Wife of Nigerian patient stranded abroad cries for help

Sadiya Salisu, wife of Mas’ud Salisu, a Nigerian patient stranded in Egypt, has called for the Federal Government’s intervention to facilitate his return home.

The Nigerian, who travelled to Egypt for medical treatment, was stranded due to flight restrictions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sadiya made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Sokoto on Sunday.

Sadiya said her husband, who is a staff of one of the Federal Government agencies in Sokoto State, had been in Egypt for the past 40 days after completing his routine medical treatment.

She noted that her spouse and other Nigerians were affected by the restriction of flights and stranded in Egypt.

Sadiya alleged that her husband along side other stranded Nigerians had made contacts with the Nigerian Mission in Egypt, lamenting that their efforts proved abortive.

According to her, her husband is in dire condition in Egypt due to the present predicament.

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, for the repatriation of Nigerians abroad, Sadiya urged the government to extend the gesture to Nigerians stranded in Egypt and other countries.

Also commenting, a relative of the stranded patient, Habibu Malumfashi, disclosed that Salisu left the county through the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano after an arrangement with an Egyptian hospital for medical treatment.

Malumfashi said his brother and other stranded Nigerians in Egypt were traumatised by daily financial challenges.

He said: “Many of the stranded persons are broke and incurred high hotel and hospital bills due to the prolonged stay in a foreign land.”

NAN recalled that Onyeama had earlier said about 4,000 Nigerians stranded abroad due to COVID-19 pandemic are willing to return home.

The government had so far repatriated hundreds of Nigerians stranded in the US and other countries.