Nepal unrest: SSB nabs Nigerian, Brazilian, Bangladeshi nationals from international border

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has apprehended two Nigerians and a Brazilian national who are suspected of having escaped from jails in Nepal during the recent anti-government protests, officials said on Saturday. The force guarding the India-Nepal international border and police in different states have caught more than 79 people from various locations along this 1,751-km-long unfenced front till now, they said.These include two Nigerian nationals, a Brazilian, a Bangladeshi citizen and some Indians. These people have been caught from the border over the last three to four days after they escaped from various jails following the massive anti-government protests in the neighbouring country, according to the officials.

Out of these, about 43 people have been caught along the international border in Bihar, 22 from Uttar Pradesh, 12 from Uttarakhand and two from West Bengal, the officials said. The Nigerian and Brazilian nationals were apprehended from Bihar (Jainagar) on Friday, while the Bangladeshi was nabbed from the state a few days ago, they said.
The India-Nepal border spans across 20 districts in five states. The SSB has issued three emergency helpline numbers to assist Indians stranded in Nepal. Helpline no. 1903 is operational in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttarakhand, apart from two other lines 0522-2728816 and 0522-298657.Nepal’s next parliamentary elections will be held on March 5, President Ramchandra Paudel’s office announced on Saturday, following a week of violent protests that led to K P Sharma Oli stepping down as prime minister and former chief justice Sushila Karki taking over as the country’s first woman PM. Nepal police on Friday had said that at least 51 people, including an Indian woman, died in the Gen Z-led protests.