The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has confirmed that a group of stranded Nigerian nationals in the Central African Republic (CAR) have successfully reached the Nigerian Embassy in Bangui, the nation’s capital.
The commission further revealed that the Nigerian agent responsible for luring the workers into a fake employment arrangement has been traced and will face legal action.
Earlier, Chronicles Reporters had reported the Federal Government’s intervention following a viral video that circulated online. The footage showed the distressed Nigerian miners crying out for help, claiming that they had been abandoned by their Chinese employer after being recruited to work in CAR.
The workers were reportedly hired by Rado Central Coal Mining Company, operating in Bambari, a remote location roughly 850 kilometres from Bangui. After working under harsh conditions, they were left stranded with no salaries or means of returning to Nigeria.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, embassy officials in Bangui located the victims, secured their travel documents, and organized their relocation to the capital for onward repatriation.
Chronicles Reporters had also reported that the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria had commenced an internal investigation into the activities of the Chinese-owned mining firm, following public uproar sparked by the video.
NiDCOM’s Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that the Nigerians are now safe at the country’s embassy in Bangui.
Balogun noted that after the video went viral, prompt action was taken by embassy staff and local security operatives who escorted the affected Nigerians from Bambari to the capital.
He explained, “The journey to Bangui took several days. These Nigerians were victims of a deceptive arrangement involving a Chinese employer and a Nigerian agent who recruited them for work, only to abandon them without pay for nearly a year. Exhausted, emotionally drained, and left to fend for themselves, they cried out for rescue.”
The statement assured that the embassy is now providing them with care and will facilitate their safe return to Nigeria.
The victims have reportedly extended their appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, officials of the Nigerian mission in Bangui, CAR security forces, and all Nigerians who helped amplify their ordeal.
“The Nigerian agent who played a role in the job scam has been identified and remains in Nigeria. Steps are already being taken to ensure that justice is served,” the commission stated.
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