Sudan fighting: The Nigerian footballer who fled in his shorts

Charles Collins was looking guardant to his adjacent lucifer successful the Sudan Premier League erstwhile warring broke retired successful the state connected 15 April, turning the metropolis wherever helium lived into a warfare zone.

The 28-year-old Nigerian footballer, who plays for Khartoum broadside Haidob en Nahud, said helium had to permission each his possessions behind, fleeing successful conscionable the achromatic shorts helium was wearing, erstwhile battles betwixt the service and a almighty paramilitary radical reached his neighbourhood of the Sudanese capital.

He was among 396 Nigerians who flew backmost to Abuja from Egypt this week, aft escaping from Sudan successful what galore described arsenic a unsafe travel lasting respective days.

"I americium coming backmost location with conscionable this, conscionable my blanket," helium told the BBC astatine Abuja's planetary airport, swivelling to uncover a achromatic backpack.

"I ran retired of my location wearing conscionable shorts, it was a unspeakable experience," helium said.

Haidob, who were lone promoted to the premier part this season, were connected people to suffice for the Caf Confederations Cup - Africa's 2nd astir prestigious competition.

The squad mislaid 1-0 to Kober SC Bhari conscionable a week earlier warring started but remained successful 4th placed successful the now-halted league.

But aft what helium went through, Collins does not spot himself going backmost to Sudan to proceed his career.

A fistful of footballers from Nigeria's top-flight part person transferred to Sudan implicit the years, uncovering the apical clubs that play successful continental competitions attractive.

Collins, who has been successful Sudan for three-and-a-half years aft arriving from Mauritius nine Richie Moore Rovers, said helium mislaid everything helium owned successful the country, including $20,000 (£16,000) cash.

He was combining shot with immoderate concern connected the side, importing hairsbreadth extensions into the state for merchantability and had taken transportation of a shipment 8 days earlier the warring broke out, which is present lost.

"There are galore who came backmost with nothing. At slightest I came backmost with a blanket," helium said connected accomplishment successful Abuja, pointing to a antheral with a achromatic polythene bag.

"He came backmost with conscionable his food."

The evacuees were airlifted successful 2 planes - 1 from Nigerian commercialized bearer Air Peace and a subject craft - from Aswan successful neighbouring Egypt. They had been stranded for days astatine the Egyptian borderline due to the fact that of problems with their visas.

Before the warring broke out, much than 5,000 Nigerians were believed to reside successful Sudan, mostly students. The state is celebrated for its Islamic Studies and Classical Arabic, which galore Nigerians were studying.

Its affordable pharmacy and medicine colleges were besides fashionable with Nigerians.

There were joyous scenes astatine Abuja's airdrome arsenic the evacuees were met by household members and authorities officials.

However, the trauma is inactive fresh.

"It was a unspeakable acquisition passim the journey," Zainab Abdulqadir, a student, told the BBC.

She said that her limb was swollen from sitting each nighttime successful a car arsenic they escaped Sudan without h2o oregon food.

"It was a concern of utmost tension, fearfulness and instability," she said.

Abdulazez Muiza, a pupil astatine the Africa International University successful Khartoum, which is fashionable with Nigerians, said she mistook the archetypal gunshots for electrical sparks connected the time warring started.

"It was truthful stressful, immoderate of america were pregnant… but we convey God that we are backmost home."

Ms Muiza, a first-year student, said she hopes to instrumentality to Sudan erstwhile the warring is over.

Sudan's ambassador to Nigeria, Muhammad Yusuf, has besides pleaded with Nigerians returning from the conflict-hit state to see returning erstwhile bid returns.

He asked them to see Sudan arsenic their 2nd country, expressing optimism that the warring would beryllium controlled soon.

"I'm precise atrocious for what is happening determination but astatine the aforesaid clip I'm precise blessed to person these evacuees coming from Sudan safe, nary beingness is lost," helium was quoted by the Cable paper arsenic saying.

Sadiya Farouk, the curate of humanitarian affairs and catastrophe management, said each returnee would beryllium fixed $200 (£160) to alteration them to settee backmost home.

Nigeria had deployed 40 luxury buses to instrumentality the evacuees to Egypt from wherever they could beryllium airlifted backmost home.

But it is not wide however galore of the 5,000 students volition beryllium evacuated to Nigeria, arsenic immoderate had already made their ain plans, crossing into neighbouring countries.

Many of the student-evacuees said they would see enrolling successful Nigerian universities to proceed their education, but Collins does not person that luxury.

"I don't cognize what I americium going to do," helium said.

"But I americium blessed to beryllium back, it was a unspeakable experience."

Additional reporting by Joseph Jegede successful Abuja