Nigerians caught up in the conflict between Israel and Iran have requested assistance from subterranean bunkers amid a strong exchange of rockets between the two nations.
Those who talked with reporters criticised the Nigerian federal government for not doing enough, noting that other nations had begun evacuating nationals.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government stated that it was seeking border clearance before rescuing over 1,000 Nigerians in the fighting countries.
According to accounts, 264 individuals, including 70 women and children, have been killed in the two countries since the conflict began.
Last Friday, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, which involved guided missiles and air raids on suspected Iranian nuclear and military sites, including air defence installations, as well as residential areas in eastern Tehran, particularly the Shahrak-e-Mahallati neighbourhood, which is home to senior IRGC commanders, and targets in Tabriz and other cities.
The Israeli onslaught killed several high-ranking Iranian military officers, including General Mohammad Bagheri and IRGC commander Hossein Salami.
In a statement, Tehran branded Israel’s strikes as “the most direct act of war” in decades of clandestine hostilities.
In retaliation, Iran conducted a massive missile barrage on June 13, 2025, shooting over 100 ballistic missiles towards Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, which houses the Nigerian embassy.
In separate interviews, some Nigerians living in major Israeli cities recounted their ordeals.
Ekene Abaka, a Nigerian in Tel Aviv said since the onslaught began, members of the Nigerian community in the city had joined other foreigners to take cover in underground shelters provided by the Israeli military, pending an opportunity to escape the country.
“We are in an Israeli bomb shelter, and I can’t answer calls right now,” Abaka said in a hasty Facebook message.
A software developer living in Jerusalem, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Nigerians in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem had been hustling for the previous few days since the conflict between the two countries began.
The informant, who also claimed to be speaking from a bomb shelter, stated that while many Israelis had died, no Nigerian casualties had been reported thus far.
He complained, however, that the Nigerian embassy had ceased all official and diplomatic functions without assisting worried Nigerians in the country.
“Most of the areas where Nigerians live in Israel are in Tel Aviv. As a matter of fact, that is the main area where most of the missiles are going. I live in Jerusalem.
“There are about three families in Jerusalem from Nigeria, but the majority of Nigerians live in Tel Aviv. We are on the run.
“The Nigerian embassy is situated in Tel Aviv. It has shut down. It’s not doing anything about the issue at the moment. We ran into a bomb shelter to protect ourselves from missiles coming from Iran,” he added.
Meanwhile, in a video shared on Tuesday by Travels Vlog, a Facebook page that documents Nigerians’ daily experiences in Israel and other parts of the Middle East, some Nigerians can be seen scrambling into a bomb shelter after the Israeli government sounds the security alarm, warning of incoming Iranian missiles.
“Everybody is running helter-skelter now. I didn’t grab my water. Oh! Those are the missiles there. They have fallen now,” one of them cried out in fear.
But as they approached one of the shelters, they discovered it was locked.
“Oh! It’s closed. Why did they lock this place? Let’s go; there is another one over there. We can’t stay here. This place is not safe,” another voice urged as the group rushed off in search of an open shelter under the night sky.
When they eventually reached a covered area, they sat on the ground, visibly scared, waiting for the loud alarm to fade and the missiles to vanish from view.
The Travels Vlog host, named Solomon, revealed in a live broadcast on Wednesday that residents were notified of oncoming Iranian missiles via text message from the authorities.
“There are missiles coming in, but 10 minutes before they hit, the Israeli government detects them and sends us a direct message to immediately leave our homes and run to the shelter. A few minutes afterwards, the security siren starts blaring, and that’s when panic sets in,” he said.
