In an interview with Vanguard, NiDCOM’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the government has not received any distress calls from Nigerians living in Iran.

“I’m not saying there are no Nigerians there; I’m only saying nobody has sent a distress call,” he clarified, adding that while some Nigerians may be in the country, none have officially reached out to the commission for help.

Balogun explained that flight cancellations to the region are due to the conflict, noting that no airline will operate in an active war zone. “You cannot fly where bombs are going up and down. No airline will fly,” he said, emphasizing that the situation affects all nationals, not just Nigerians.

He added that evacuations could only occur if a temporary ceasefire allows stranded travelers at airports to be moved, which has not happened.

When asked about the number of Nigerians affected, Balogun stated that NiDCOM does not have such data and advised contacting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “We don’t have embassies there. The only authority over embassies is the Minister of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

Regarding coordination with airlines or foreign authorities to prevent Nigerians from being stranded, he said such collaboration is currently impossible. “All flights are suspended. We cannot collaborate with anybody,” he noted, adding that Nigeria has no national airline currently operating international routes.

Balogun explained that Nigerians traveling to Iran usually do so privately, often connecting via countries like the United Arab Emirates or Greece.

On activating a full evacuation plan, he stressed that certain conditions must be met. Affected Nigerians must formally request assistance and be willing to return home. “You cannot force them; people went there voluntarily. In Sudan and Ukraine, some initially said they were not leaving. People must seek help and say, ‘our lives are in danger, can you evacuate us?’”

Once such a request is received and conditions allow, the government can arrange emergency measures, including chartering aircraft and establishing a rescue committee. “They must be Nigerians and be ready to come back home,” he concluded.