Stranded Nigerian miners in the Central African Republic (CAR) have finally found safety at the Nigerian Embassy in Bangui, days after a distress video appealing for help went viral.
Naijaonpoint reports the miners, who were allegedly lured to CAR by a Chinese national and a Nigerian agent with promises of employment, were abandoned without pay for 11 months, according to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).
A viral video shared recently by the victims triggered widespread concern and prompted swift intervention by officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Bangui, working alongside CAR security agencies.
The group was reportedly escorted from their remote location to the capital city of Bangui in a journey that lasted several days.
The victims, described as traumatised, weak and distressed, had earlier pleaded for urgent assistance after enduring nearly a year without payment or proper care.
The Nigerians are now in the care of embassy officials, who are reportedly making arrangements for their safe return to Nigeria.
“They are now in the safe hands of officials of the Nigerian Embassy who will arrange their return back home,” said NiDCOM in a statement e-signed by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
The rescued individuals expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, embassy officials, security personnel in both Nigeria and CAR, and citizens who shared their ordeal online.
The Nigerian agent accused of recruiting and abandoning the miners has been identified and is currently based in Nigeria. Authorities say he is expected to face prosecution.
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