If di Nigerian goment send aeroplane to comot dia citizens from Lebanon today, many Nigerians no go enta dat plane.
Some Nigerians for Lebanon tell BBC say dem go rather stay back and die, dan return to Nigeria.
Dem go take dia chances for Lebanon, wia some parts dey under attack by Israel, dan to return to Nigeria wia uncertain future and economic hardship dey wait for dem.
One tok-tok pesin for di Nigerian ministry of foreign affairs, tell BBC on Friday 11 October say na only 70 pipo don register for evacuation out of di 2000 Nigerians wey dem know say dey Lebanon. Until dem get “di required number of pipo wey go full di aeroplane,” evacuation no go happun, di tok-tok pesin tok.
For one earlier statement, di ministry bin tok say dem don register 500 pipo for di evacuation.
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“I get one sick mama and papa for house (Nigeria), who go take care of dem for me, who go pay my debts for me for Nigeria? E beta if I die here rather dan go back to Nigeria,”Adeola, wey dey work as housekeeper for Beirut, tok.
Di 25-year-old wey don dey live for Lebanon for five years, and dey work for one Lebanese family say she run afta Israel attacks increase. Her employers bin leave her behind wen strong, thick smoke cover dia southern suburb for di capital, Beirut, as bombs drop for different places.
Dem promise to continue to dey pay her salary of $300 as long as she stay behind to look afta dia house.
These days, she no dey sure of how close di next bomb wey go hit di house, wey dem now don abandon her to watch.
But di debts, di piling medical bills of her sick parents, plus oda financial responsibilities for Nigeria mean say going back home no be option for her.
As Israel increase dia offensive for Lebanon to root out Hezbollah fighters, kontris around di world don ask dia citizens to evacuate.
Di Nigerian government also join, as dem announce evacuation plan for dia citizens.
Even as dia employers run and leave dem behind, wit sounds of gunfire, bombs and pipo wey dey fear wey dey run to safety elsewhere, for some Nigerians, going back home simply no be choice.
Many Nigerians wey dey live for Lebanon dey financially responsible for dia families back home and dem no fit return to become burden to dia families, Rowland Aigbovbiosa, Chairman of di Association of Nigerians for Lebanon, tell BBC.
“Di environment for Nigeria no dey inviting,” e tok.
Oga Aigbovbiosa also tok say many pipo believe say peace toks fit dey between di warring sides soon, and most Nigerians wey currently get well-paying jobs for Lebanon dey bet and dey put dia hopes on top dat possibility.
E also say some dey fear say dem fit no get di opportunity to come back if dem leave Lebanon and wan return afta di conflict.
Joy, anoda Nigerian wey dey work as maid for one Lebanese home, also tell BBC say she no dey come back Nigeria.
Dis na sake of her financial responsibilities for Nigeria, wia she say possibility no dey say she go get beta job wey dey pay well.
“No one wan dey for situation wia e gatz choose to dey for war (abroad) ova coming back to dia own kontri. But I no fit rush back to Nigeria wia di goment no get anytin to offer us,” she tok.
Di worsening cost-of-living crisis for Nigeria, weak currency, unemployment and rising poverty, don make many Nigerians seek greener pastures abroad.
For now, Akinbobola, one data analyst wey dey work now for Lebanon as housekeeper don create one WhatsApp group to connect Nigerians for daily check-ins, so dat odas go know say dem dey fine. Di group also dey provide safety and information updates.
She also no fit leave Lebanon dis time becos three of her younger siblings for Nigeria dey depend on her financially.
Leaving her job for Lebanon fit be di end to her siblings’ schooling. And worse, according to her, na to see herself as potential burden to her struggling family if she go back home now.
According to di Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), no Nigerian don dey recorded among casualties since di conflict between Israel and Hezbollah start, but dem don advise Nigerians for serious areas to relocate to oda parts of Lebanon wey dey relatively safe.
“Even though most of dem neva show willingness to return home despite persuasions by our embassy, we go continue to do everything to ensure di safety of our citizens,” part of one statement by Nigeria foreign affairs ministry read.
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