Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama has raised concerns over Poland’s refusal to grant Nigerians entry into the country from Ukraine.
Expressing concerns over the development on Friday, Mr Onyeama, while at a meeting with envoys of European Union countries over the Russia-Ukraine crisis, said the Nigerian government was receiving emergency calls from its citizens fleeing Ukraine by road.
He said that information gotten from citizens indicated that Polish authorities were refusing Nigerians fleeing Ukraine entry into Poland.
“And we have had a number of calls, desperate calls and that there are cases of women and pregnant women and so forth,” Mr Onyeama said.
The government’s concerns come as Nigerians fleeing Ukraine to seek refuge in Poland continue to lament over ill treatment as they attempt to seek refuge in neighbouring countries.
Twitter user @nzekiev in a tweet disclosed that he alongside two other Africans were asked out of a train while attempting to flee to Poland from war torn Ukraine.
“Train to Poland got here, I and other two Africans entered first, few mins later, the police came in and dragged us down from our cabin. Only Ukrainians are allowed. I don’t blame them, though. I blame African leaders,” he tweeted.
Another Twitter user @Amypebbles_ tweeted that Nigerians were being denied entry at the Polish border.
“Nigerians are being turned back at the borders. Who is the Nigerian ambassador to Poland and how can we reach him?” she wrote.
Earlier on Friday, the President, Nigerian Students Union, Anjolaoluwa Ero-Philips, who is among the few Nigerians to have successfully entered Poland told Sun Newspaper that eight students are about to enter Poland through another border.
Mr Ero-Philips said he and six students set out on foot to the entry border point at 8:00 p.m. and arrived at the border by 3:00 a.m. He said they were left in the cold for about two hours before being allowed into Poland.
However, Mr Onyeama said that he raised the issue with the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Joanna Tarnawska, and has been assured that the situation will be addressed.